\ 


THE  PIONEER  BISHOP: 


OK, 


ift   anfc  ftnus 


FRANCIS  AS  BURY, 


W.  P.  STRICKLAND. 


WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION 

BY   NATHAN   BANGS,   D.D. 


FOURTH     THOUSAND. 


38* »f  Work  : 

PUBLISHED   BY   CARLTON   &   PORTER, 

200    MULBERRY-STREET. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1858,  by 
CARLTON    &    PORTER, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Southern  District  of 
New-York. 


PREFATORY   LETTER. 


A   TRUTHFUL  Life   of  Bishop  Asbury  will 
prove  a  rich  contribution  to  the  moral  wealth 
of  religious  literature.    It  will  be  a  voice  of  one 
dead,  yet  speaking  with  the  tenderest  pathos 
and  deepest  solemnity  to  the  Church  and  the 
world,  earnestly  summoning  them  to  duty  and 
devotion.     It  will  be  a  beautiful  and  blessed 
exhibition   of  the  great,  and  permanent,  and 
constantly-augmenting  results  of  faithful  minis 
terial  services.     It  will  also  be  an  impressive 
exemplification  of  the  truth,  that  while  a  minis 
ter  should  be  "  a  man  of  one  work,"  he  should 
be  equally  devoted  to  every  department  of 
that  work.     Bishop  Asbury  was  not  merely  a 
preacher,  but  he  took  the  oversight  of  the  flock. 

Ml3l 


4  PKEFATORY    LETTER. 

He  visited  pastorally,  he  distributed  tracts,  he 
aided  in  building  houses  of  worship,  he  encour 
aged  religious  education,  he  raised  means  to 
send  ministers  to  destitute  places,  and  was 
ready  to  every  good  word  and  work. 

His  agency  in  planting,  and  his  influence  in 
promoting  the  progress  and  perpetuity  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United 
States  were  primary.  I  doubt  whether  it  will 
be  contended  that  any  other  man  has  contrib 
uted  so  much  to  the  weal  of  Methodism  in 
America. 

If  men  who  lay  the  foundations  of  empires, 
who  contribute  largely  to  the  prosperity  and 
glory  of  nations,  may  be  properly  and  usefully 
represented  to  succeeding  generations  as  worthy 
examples  of  political  sagacity  and  patriotic 
devotion,  may  not  the  eminent  servants  of  God 
who  by  their  wisdom,  their  labors,  their  suffer 
ings,  and  their  piety,  planted  in  this  country 
that  branch  of  the  Church  of  Christ  which  now 
is  equal,  at  least  in  numbers,  in  moral  forces, 
and  religious  usefulness,  to  any  denomination  in 


PREFATORY    LETTER.  5 

the  glorious  confederacy  of  Christianity,  be 
presented  to  after  generations  of  Christians, 
in  their  spirit,  their  sacrifices,  their  untiring 
activities,  and  their  heroic  achievements,  with 
edification. 

Surely  ito  biographer  ever  had  a  more 
admirable  character  to  delineate,  or  a  higher 
sphere  of  activities  to  describe,  or  more  blessed 
results  to  record. 

One  of  the  renowned  ancients  is  reported  to 
have  said  that  he  would  rather  posterity  should 
inquire  why  a  monument  was  not  erected  to 
him,  than  to  ask  why  one  had  been  erected  to 
him.  In  my  early  Acquaintance  with  the 
history  of  our  Church  I  was  led  involuntarily 
and  frequently  to  inquire,  Why  has  no  biogra 
phy  of  Bishop  Asbury  been  furnished  to  the 
Church  ?  I  have  often  heard  brethren,  both  in 
the  ministry  and  in  the  laity,  express  deep 
regret  at  this  omission.  My  time  did  not  per 
mit  me  to  examine  the  manuscript  of  this  work 
sufficiently  to  justify  me  in  analyzing  and 
describing  it;  but  I  know  that  the  author 


b  PREFATORY    LETTER. 

has  the  intellectual  and  literary  ability,  and  I 
believe  he  has  the  persevering  industry,  the 
Christian  candor,  and  the  religious  sympathy 
to  execute  the  work  with  fidelity;  and  when 
thoroughly  executed  it  will  place  another  star 
of  first  magnitude  and  of  richest  effulgence  in 
the  biographical  galaxy  of  the  Church. 

E.  S.  JANES. 


INTRODUCTION. 


A  LIFE  OF  BISHOP  ASBUEY  lias  long  been  a  desidera 
tum  among  the  biographies  of  the  Church  ;  I  say  the 
Church,  meaning  to  comprehend  the  entire  Christian 
community.  For  though  he  was  a  minister  of  a  sect, 
and  a  bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
yet  his  labors  made  a  most  salutary  impression  upon 
the  Christian  community  at  large,  and  tended  to  mold 
the  minds  and  hearts  of  all  that  came  or  shall  come 
within  their  influence  into  the  image  of  Christ.  He 
may  therefore  be  presented  as  an  exemplar  of  every 
minister  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  as  exhibiting  that  spirit 
of  catholicity  which  ought  to  possess  and  actuate  the 
hearts  and  heads  of  all  who  are  inducted  into  the 
sacred  office.  Such  a  biography,  well  written,  cannot 
do  otherwise  than  exert  a  hallowing  influence  on  all 
who  examine  its  pages  with  a  right  spirit,  in  leading 
them  forward  in  the  path  of  obedience,  faith,  and  love, 
and  inducing  them  to  make  the  sacrifice  needful  to 
enable  them  to  fulfill  their  ministry  with  persevering 


&  ;  INTRODUCTION. 

diligence,  that  they  may  finally  finish  their  "  course 
with  joy." 

One  fault  of  many  biographers  is  the  mingling  up 
of  every  incident,  however  remotely  connected  with 
the  person  concerned,  that  may  have  occurred  during 
his  lifetime,  interweaving  into  his  biography  events 
and  things  with  which  he  had  little  or  nothing  to  do, 
thus  making  him  responsible  for  things  and  events 
over  which  he  had  little  or  no  control.  This  method 
belongs  more  properly  to  general  history,  instead  of 
the  history  of  an  individual.  It  has  been  adopted,  I 
have  often  thought,  to  make  up  for  the  barrenness 
of  the  subject  by  the  introduction  of  matters  quite 
foreign  to,  or  at  least  but  remotely  connected  with,  the 
person  whose  character  and  conduct  are  delineated. 
There  are,  to  be  sure,  certain  great  characters  which 
have  appeared  upon  the  stage  of  human  existence  and 
action,  which  have  stamped  their  character  upon  the 
world — such  as  Alexander,  Bonaparte,  and  Washing 
ton  among  warriors  and  statesmen,  Luther,  Armin- 
ius,  and  Wesley  among  Christian  ministers  and  re 
formers — with  whose  lives  are  linked  cotemporaneous 
events  and  characters  that  must  be  noticed,  in  order 
to  give  a  full  and  comprehensive  view  of  what  they 
did,  and  of  the  influence  they  exerted  on  society. 
And  if  an  apology  could  rightfully  be  made  for  this 
kind  of  biography  for  any  public  man,  it  might  be 
made  for  Bishop  Asbury.  for  certainly  he  stood  up 


INTRODUCTION.  V» 

before  the  community  as  a  giant  in  intellect,  and 
as  a  saint  of  the  first  magnitude,  having  pro 
fessed  and  exemplified  the  "  heights  and  depths " 
of  "  perfect  love,"  and  displayed  the  zeal  and 
diligence  of  an  apostle  in  the  work  of  the  Christian 
ministry. 

Dr.  Strickland,  however,  has  not  availed  himself-" 
of  this  privilege,  but  has  confined  himself  strictly  to 
the  life  and  labors  of  Bishop  Asbury,  calling  him, 
very  appropriately,  the  "pioneer  bishop."  Such 
indeed  he  was,  for  he  was  the  first  Protestant  bishop 
that  ever  trod  the  American  soil,  and  he  was  the  only 
bishop  that  followed  the  example  of  the  apostles  and 
primitive  evangelists  by  itinerating  through  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  visiting  alternately 
the  cities  and  villages,  the  older  settlements,  and 
traversing  the  wilderness  in  search  of  the  lost  sheep 
of  the  house  of  Israel,  carrying  with  him  the  light  of 
truth  and  the  love  of  God  and  man  wherever  he  went. 
I  say  the  biographer  confines  himself  strictly  to  the 
life  and  labors  of  Bishop  Asbury,  but  nevertheless 
embracing  those  cotemporaneous  events  which  neces 
sarily  connected  themselves  with  him,  or  which  were 
produced  by  his  active  and  energetic  labors.  This 
was  necessary  to  make  the  portrait  complete  ;  for, 
wherever  the  bishop  moved  he  moved  others,  and 
they  others,  and  thus  his  circle  of  influence  was  con 
tinually  enlarged,  so  that  the  little  one  "  soon  became 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

a  thousand,  and  a  small  one  a  strong  nation."  The 
work  of  reformation  spread  in  every  direction ; 
ministers  and  people  were  raised  up,  through  his  in 
strumentality,  to  praise  the  Lord.  A  man  thus  dis 
tinguished  as  a  leader  of  "  God's  sacramental  host" 
must  necessarily  cluster  around  him  many  others, 
some  of  them  nearly  equal  to  himself,  others  of  an 
inferior  grade,  all  of  whom  must  be  noticed  with 
greater  or  lesser  particularity,  in  order  to  render  the 
portraiture  full  and  perfect  in  all  its  parts. 

Dr.  Strickland  has  already  evinced  his  competency 
to  the  task  of  writing  the  life  of  Bishop  Asbury,  in 
other  departments  of  literature,  such  as  the  History 
of  the  American  Bible  Society,  History  of  the  Mis 
sionary  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  other  works  of  equal  merit,  and  it  is  hoped  and 
believed  that  his  reputation  as  an  author  will  suffer 
nothing  in  the  present  undertaking.  His  plan  is 
calculated  to  insure  success,  by  bringing  the  facts 
into  as  small  a  compass  as  the  subject  would  permit, 
and  thus  presenting  the  life  of  Bishop  Asbury  full 
and  complete,  in  a  style  of  popular  eloquence,  to 
readers  of  all  classes,  tastes,  and  attainments. 

Those  who  were  acquainted  with  Asbury,  as  was  the 
writer  of  this  Introduction,  cannot  but  remember  his 
dignified  appearance,  his  manly  eloquence,  and  the 
solemn  and  commanding  manner  in  which  he  admin 
istered  the  sacred  ordinance  to  those  on  whom  he 


INTRODUCTION.  11 

laid  his  hands,  while  he  said,  "Keceive  the  Holy 
Ghost  for  the  office  of  an  elder  in  the  Church  of  God, 
now  committed  unto  thee  by  my  hands  and  prayer." 
Generally  this  impressive  act  and  these  solemn  words 
were  attended  with  an  "  unction  of  the  Holy  One," 
which  rested  upon  the  recipients  of  this  holy  office, 
and  ran  through  the  assembly  of  God's  people  like 
electricity.  Though  I  can  well  remember  those 
seasons  of  solemn  grandeur  and  holy  delight,  yet  I 
find  it  difficult  to  describe  them,  there  being  a  secret 
something  arising  from  a  consciousness  of  the  Divine 
presence  which  renders  it  indescribable,  or,  as  St. 
Paul  expresses  it,  "  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory." 
We  felt  indeed  that  Christ  spoke  through  his  servant, 
and  realized 

"  The  solemn  awe  which  dares  not  move, 
And  all  the  silent  heaven  of  love." 

The  influence  of  the  life  of  such  a  man,  with  its 
prominent  features  fully  brought  out,  upon  those  who 
read  it  with  attention,  with  faith  and  prayer,  must 
be  great  and  salutary.  Some  biographies,  to  be 
sure,  possess  nothing  interesting,  being  made  up  of 
common-place  remarks,  possessing  no  traits  of  char 
acter,  experience,  or  conduct  but  what  may  be 
found  in  every  individual  of  their  class,  and  there 
fore  are  dull  and  prosing,  and  soon  pall  upon  the 
mental  appetite.  Not  so  the  life  of  Bishop  Asbury. 


12  INTRODUCTION. 

He  possessed  strong  points  of  character.  His  expe 
rience  of  Divine  things  was  deep  and  genuine,  glory 
ing  in  naught  but  "  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified," 
saying,  "  I  rejoice  continually  in  the  perfect  love  of 
God."  His  labors  were  great,  his  travels  extensive, 
and  his  constant  moving  from  place  to  place  brought 
him  into  all  sorts  of  company,  the  rich  and  the  poor, 
the  learned  and  unlearned,  so  that  in  reading  a  faith 
ful  record  of  those  things  we  have  a  panorama  spread 
out  before  us  filled  with  a  variety  of  figures,  all  of 
an  interesting  character,  all  instructive  and  edifying. 
I  could  write  much  upon  these  topics,  but  I  will 
not  anticipate  the  biography  before  me.  Let  it  be 
circulated  and  read,  and  then  the  reader  will  be 
fully  acquainted  with  the  birth,  education,  conver 
sion,  and  sanctification  of  FRANCIS  ASBUKY,  and  will, 
I  doubt  not,  praise  God  for  raising  up  and  qualifying 
him  for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  then  putting 
him  into  the  bishopric  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  in  which  office  he  exemplified,  in  an  emi 
nent  degree,  the  graces  of  humility  and  firmness,  of 
patience  and  perseverance,  and  those  commanding 
talents  which  enabled  him  rightly  to  divide  the  word 
of  truth,  and  give  to  every  one  his  "  portion  of  meat 

in  due  season." 

]N".  BANGS. 
NEW-YORK,  Aug.  26,  1858. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

The  Relation  of  Childhood  to  Manhood  —  Province  of  Education  —  Di 
versity  of  Mind  —  Basis  of  Distinction  —  Asbury's  Birth  —  Parentage 

—  Native  Character —  Influence  of  Religion  —  Death  of  his  Sister  —  Its 
Effect  on  his  youthful  Mind  —  His  early  Conversion  —  School  Days  — 
Cruel  Treatment  —  Change  of  Residence  — An  Irreligious  Family  — 
Trials  —  Returns  Home  —  Learns  a  Trade  —  Course  of  Reading  —  Im 
portance  of  right  Kind  —  Pernicious  Principle  —  Hears  of  the  Method 
ists  through  his  Mother  —  Attends  their  Preaching  —  His  Impressions 

—  Religious  Enjoyment  —  Holds  Prayer  Meetings  —  Opposition  —  Meet 
ings  for  Prayer  and  Exhortation  in  his  Father's  House  —  Extends  his 
Sphere  of  Labor  —  Souls  converted  —  Licensed  to  Preach  —  Early  La 
bors  —  Appointed  to  a  Circuit  —  Conference  at  Bristol  in  1771  —  Vol 
unteers  as  a  Missionary  to  America,  and  is  accepted PAGE  25 

CHAPTER   II. 

Asbury  returns  Home  —  Encounters  Trials  —  His  Mother  —  Visits  the 
Scenes  of  his  early  Labors  —  Parting  with  Parents — Bristol  Outfit  — 
Richard  "Wright  —  Embarkation  —  Sickness  —  Preaching  on  board  by 
Wright  —  Self-examination  —  Motives  —  Reflections  —  His  first  Sermon 
at  Sea  —  Advantage  of  Trials  —  Boojvs  read  on  the  Voyage  —  Study  of 
the  Bible  —  His  Heart  bound  to  America  —  Personal  Religion  —  Full 
Consecration  to  his  Mission  —  Last  Sermon  on  Shipboard  —  Gale  — 
Sight  of  Land  —  Voyage  ended  —  Reception  in  Philadelphia  —  Preach 
ing  by  Pilmoor  —  Progress  of  Methodism  —  Encouragement  —  The 
Soldier  Preacher  . .  .42 


14  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  III. 

Commercial  Intercourse  between  England  and  the  United  States  —  Mer 
chants  of  New  York  —  Philadelphia  Merchants  —  Students  at  Prince 
ton  —  Keception  of  New  York  Merchants'  Letter  in  Boston  —  Patriots 
of  the  South  —  Colony  of  Massachusetts  put  under  Martial  Law  —  Har 
bor  of  Boston  and  Castle  William  —  Mediation  of  Franklin  —  Valley  of 
the  Mississippi  —  Six  Nations — Western  Explorations  —  Washington 
selects  Lands  for  Soldiers  —  Boone  the  Pioneer  Hunter  —  Regulators 

—  Their    Representative    imprisoned  —  Battle  —  Proclamation  —  Cen 
tralization  of  Power  —  Unjust  Taxation  —  Protest  of  Samuel  Adams  — 
Franklin's  Prediction  —  Vessels  of  War  in  Boston  Harbor  —  Ministers 
of  Boston  refuse  to  read  the  Governor's  Thanksgiving  Proclamation  — 
Evils  of  Slavery  in  Virginia  —  Proclamation  of  the  King  —  Jeiferson  — 
Lee  —  Henry  —  Appeal  to  the  King  —  Franklin  —  First  Religious  Sects 
in  the  Country  —  Queen  Elizabeth's  Grant — Grant  of  Charles  II. — 
Puritans  —  Lutherans  —  Baptists  —  Reformed    Dutch  —  Presbyterians 

—  Roman  Catholics '. PAGE  51 

CHAPTER   IV. 

Colonial  Period  —  Colonists  in  a  State  of  Rebellion  —  Church  and  State  — 
Religious  Denominations  —  Persecutions  —  The  "  Great  Awakening  "- 
Decline  in  Religion — The  Wesleys — Their  Labors  in  America  —  Method 
ist  Emigrants —  Philip  Embury  in  New  York  —  First  Meeting  —  Subse 
quent  Meetings —  Incidental  Remarks  in  relation  to  Local  Preachers  — 
The  Value  of  their  Labors  in  early  Times  —  First  Methodist  Preaching 
in  America  —  The  little  Band  in  Barrack-street  Workshop  —  Secret  of 
the  Success  of  the  early  Preachers — Embury  as  a  Preacher — Conversion 
of  an  English  Officer  —  Becomes  a  Local  Preacher — Ordered  to  America 
and  stationed  at  Albany  —  Visits  New  York  and  preaches  for  the  Meth 
odists — Multitudes  attracted — Place  too  small — Larger  Room  obtained — 
Opposition  —  First  Methodist  Church  built — Reinforcement  of  Preach 
ers  sent  over  by  Wesley  — Pilmoor's  Letter  to  Wesley— Strawbridgc  in 
Maryland  —  Boardman  in  Philadelphia  —  Letter  to  Wesley 69 

CHAPTER   V. 

Reception  in  Philadelphia— Pilmoor  — Asbury's  first  Sermon  in  America  — 
Visit  to  Staten  Island  —  New  York  —  Boardman  —  Asbury's  Opinion  of 


CONTENTS.  1 5 

the  Americans  —  Visit  to  the  Country  —  Pilmoor  —  Asbury  in  Philadel 
phia —  Appointed  Superintendent  —  Criticism  of  a  Book  —  An  officious 
Priest  —  Quarterly  Meetings  —  Baltimore  —  New  York  —  Church  Wor 
shipers  —  Philadelphia  —  Rankin  —  St.  Paul's  Church  —  Eankin' s  Op 
position  to  Eevivals — First  Conference  —  Baltimore  —  Quarterly  Con 
ference —  Otterbein  —  Second  Conference  —  Desire  to  be  sent  to  Balti 
more  — Disappointed  —  Norfolk  —  Revival  in  Virginia  —  Asbury 's  Opin 
ion  of  the  English  Preachers  who  left  the  Country  —  Rumors  of  War  — 
Warm  Sulphur  Springs  —  Wesley  and  Politics  —  Conference  at  Deer 
Creek  —  Declaration  of  Independence  —  Difficulties  about  the  Sacra 
ments —  Retires  to  Judge  White's  in  Delaware  —  Trials  —  Action  of 
Southern  Preachers  —  Asbury's  Efforts  at  Union  —  Plan  proposed  — 
Rejected — Delegates  sent  to  Southern  Conference  —  Successful  Re 
sult PAGE  83 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Visit  to  the  Churches  in  Virginia  —  Description  of  his  Journey  —  Con 
ference  of  1781  held  in  Baltimore  —  Concurrence  of  the  Southern 
Preachers  in  the  Plan  of  Union — Resolve  of  the  Preachers — Regula 
tions  in  regard  to  Local  Preachers  —  Letter  to  Wesley —  Close  of  Con 
ference — Itinerant  Superintendency  —  Hard  Fare  —  Congregation  on 
the  Mountain  — Hanging  Rock  Castle  —  South  Branch  of  the  Potomac 
—  Settlement  of  Germans  —  Inspiring  Scenes  —  Fork  Mountain — Large 
Spring  —  Caves  —  Banks  of  Lost  River  —  Drafted  Soldiers  —  Benighted 
on  the  Mountains — Leesburg  —  New  York  —  Conference — Numbers 
received — -  Interchange  of  Preachers  —  Conference  confirm  Asbury's 
Appointment  as  Superintendent  —  Coadjutancy  of  Rev.  Mr.  Jarratt  — 
State  of  the  Church  —  Revivals  in  Virginia  and  Maryland — Adjourned 
to  Baltimore  —  Asbury's  Travels  —  Friendly  Quakers  at  Salem  —  Prep 
arations  for  Conference  —  Statistics  —  A  disaffected  Preacher  —  Wes 
ley's  Letter — Crossing  the  Mountains — Capture  of  Mr.  Williams  by 
the  Indians — Quarterly  Meeting  at  Philadelphia — New  York  — 
Opinion  of  Methodists  in  these  Places — First  Interview  with  Dr.  Coke 
after  his  Arrival  —  Richard  Whatcoat  —  Surprise  —  Question  as  to  an 
Independent  Organization  discussed  —  Determination  to  call  a  General 
Conference  —  Freeborn  Garrettson  sent  to  the  South  —  Vasey  —  Poyth- 
ress  —  Interview  with  Mr.  Weems  —  Reflections ...  . .  121 


16  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Length  of  Time  in  America  — His  Age  — An  unordained  Preacher 
—  Number  of  Preachers  and  Members  —  Character  of  the  Preachers 
associated  with  him  — Marsden's  Description  of  Asbury  —  "Christmas 
General  Conference "  — Dr.  Coke  — Wesley's  Letter  — An  important 
Occasion  —  A  distinct  and  separate  Organization  —  Title  of  Church — • 

^  Office  of  Bishop  elective  —  Coke  and  Asbury  elected  Bishops  —  Or 
dination  of  Asbury  —  Ordination  Sermon  —  Ordination  of  Deacons  — 
Power  exercised  by  Asbury  as  an  Assistant  Superintendent  under 
Lesley  —  Conference  defines  the  Duty  of  a  Bishop  —  Abuse  of  Power 
— Character  of  the  present  Episcopacy  —  Short  Obituaries  —  Asbury's 
first  Sermon  as  a  Bishop  —  Change  in  his  Journal  —  Effect  of  Adminis 
tration  of  the  Ordinances  by  Asbury  on  other  Churches  —  Charleston, 
South  Carolina  —  Lee  —  Willis  —  Conferences  —  New  Circuits  —  Great 
Eevivals  —  York  —  Surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis  —  Alexandria  —  Visit 

—  to  George  Washington— Bath  Springs  —  Preaches  in  a  Theater  —  Balti 
more  Philadelphia  «-  New  York  —  Heavy  Labors  —  Liberality  of  New 

York  Methodists  — ._jbury's  first  Wagon  — Last  Wagon  ....  PAGE  138 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

John  Dickins  — Description  of,  by  Asbury— Subscription  for  "Kings- 
wood  High  School  in  America"  —  Claims  of,  presented  by  Asbury  — 
Dr.  Coke's  Sympathy  with  the  Enterprise  —  Suggests  the  Propriety  of 
founding  a  College  —  Adopted  by  the  Conference  —  Plan  drawn  up  ac 
cordingly  —  Eules  andKegulations— Abingdon  selected  as  the  Site  — 
Beauty  of  Situation  —  Laying  the  Corner-Stone  of  Cokesbury  College 
Asbury's  Sermon  on  the  Occasion  —  Dedication  —  An  ominous  Text 

—  First  Faculty  of  the  College  —  Eules  and  Eegulations  —  Asbury  and 
College  Finances  —  Its  Management  a  source  of  great  Anxiety  —  Its  His 
tory—Destruction  by  Fire  — The  Subject  of  Rebuilding  agitated  by 
Dr.  Coke  —  A  Building  suited  to  the  Purpose  purchased  in  Baltimore 

—  College  reopened  —  Facility  —  Eegulations  and  Course  of  Study  — 
Destroyed   by  Fire  — School   for  Charity  Boys   in   Georgia— Bethel 
Academy  — Seminary  in  New  York  —  Progress  of  Education  in  the 
Church—  Remarks  of  Hon.  Edward  Everett 161 


CONTENTS.  1 

CHAPTER   IX. 

Dismal  Swamp  —  Perilous  Journey  —  Meets  Dr.  Coke  at  Charleston  — 
Conference  —  Preaching  —  Asbury's  Travels — Description  of  Dr.  Coke's 
Sermon  at  New  York  —  Hcmpstead  Harbor  —  Preaches  in  a  Paper-Mill 
—  Returns  to  New  York  —  Trouble  in  the  Church  about  Congregational 
Singing  —  Journey  up  the  Hudson  —  Description  of  West  Point — New- 
burgh —  Bath  —  Delivers  a  Course  of  Lectures  on  the  Prophecies  — 
Dejection  of  Mind  —  First  Ordination  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  —  As- 
bury  in  Gown  and  Bands  —  Rearranges  the  Discipline  —  "When  First 
Edition  was  printed  —  New  Edition  —  Questions  and  Answers  omitted— 
Revised  Edition  —  Fifth  Edition  —  New  Sections  —  Notes  on  the  Disci 
pline —  General  Conference  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  1788. — 
Georgia  —  Crossing  the  Mountains  —  Hard  Fare  —  A  stubborn  Horse — • 
An  Incident  —  Character  of  Early  Settlers  —  Letter  to  a  Quaker  in  Del 
aware  —  Tour  to  the  Western  Wilderness  —  Horses  stolen  by  Indians  — 
Perils  of  the  Journey  —  Conference  in  Lexington  —  Return  through  the 
Wilderness  —  Conference  at  Petersburg!!  —  Bishop's  Council  —  Threat 
ening  Letter  from  O'Kelly  — Asbury's  Reply  —  Asbury  vindicates 
himself — Jesse  Lee  in  New  England  —  His  Character  —  First  Sermon 
in  Boston  —  Letter  to  Asbury  —  Letter  from  Poythress PAGE  174 

CHAPTER   X. 

Doctrine  of  Celibacy  —  Apostolic  Injunction  —  Asbury's  Reasons  for  Celi 
bacy —  Other  Reasons  —  His  Opinion  of  Dr.  Coke's  Marriage  —  Singu 
lar  Remark  about  the  Women  and  the  Devil  —  Dialogue  on  Marriage  — 
Asbury  and  the  Young  Lady  —  Devotion  to  his  Mother  —  Beautiful 
Tribute  to  her  Memory 206 

CHAPTER   XI. 

Previous  Reference  to  Institutions  of  Learning  —  Asbury  lays  the  Foun 
dation  of  the  Book  Concern  —  Founder  of  the  Methodist  Missions  to 
Frontier  Settlements  —  Founder  of  the  Chartered  Fund  — Founder  of 
American  Sabbath  Schools  — Benevolent  Institutions  the  Outgrowth  of 
the  Church  — Asbury  a  Bible  Distributer  —  The  Sunday  School  System 
incorporated  with  the  Discipline  — Asbury's  Comments  —  Preached  on 
the  Subject  of  Education  —  Name  of  Francis  Asbury  given  to  Children 


18  CONTENTS. 

—  Remembered  in  his  "Will  —  Affectionate  Regard  for  the  Young  —  Or 
ganization  of  District  Schools  —  His  Plan  —  Its  Importance  —  An  inter 
esting  Sketch PAGE  215 

CHAPTER   XII. 

Asbury's  Attachment  to  America  when  his  Associates  in  the  Ministry 
fled  the  Country  —  Writes  a  Complimentary  Letter  to  an  Advo 
cate  of  American  Principles  —  Admonition  to  the  Conference  in 
relation  to  the  Employment  of  an  English  Preacher  —  His  unbounded 
Admiration  for  Washington — Proposition  to  the  New  York  Con 
ference  in  1789  —  Asbury  and  his  Associates  introduced  to  Washing 
ton  in  his  Official  Capacity  —  Address  of  the  Bishop  —  Washington's 
Reply  —  The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  the  first  to  recognize  the 
Government  of  the  United  States  —  With  other  Churches  an  after 
thought —  No  Union  of  Church  and  State,  but  Government  Protection 

—  The  Government  Christian  —  Obedience  to  Government  an  Article 
of  Religion  —  Reflections  —  Asbury's  Example — Tribute  to  Washing 
ton —  Thoughts  on  Religious  Liberty  —  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts 
Priest-ridden  —  View  of  the  United  States  —  Continental  Officers. .  230 

CHAPTER  XIIL 

Asbury  and  Coke  at  Port  Royal,  South  Carolina  —  Sad  Intelligence  of 
the  Death  of  Wesley  —  Tribute  —  Coke  left  for  Baltimore  to  take 
Passage  to  England  —  Preaches  a  Funeral  Sermon  in  Baltimore  —  Con 
ference  —  Conference  at  Duck  Creek  and  Trenton  —  New  York  — 
Asbury  preaches  before  the  Conference  on  the  Occasion  of  Wesley's 
Death  —  New  Haven  —  President  of  Yale  College  and  Professors — Col 
lege  Chapel  —  Uncourteous  Treatment  —  Providence  —  Boston  —  Dis 
couraged  —  Lynn  —  Prophecy  —  Fulfillment  —  Letter  to  a  young  Minis 
ter —  Visits  various  Places  in  New  England — Returns  to  New  York  — 
Journey  West  and  South  —  Tennessee  —  Indian  Depredations  —  Crosses 
—  the  Wilderness  —  Kentucky  —  Boone,  the  Pioneer  Hunter  —  Paradise 
for  the  Poor  Man —  Rock  Castle  Station —  Conference  at  Bethel  —  Prep 
arations  for  Return — Alarm  —  Incidents  of  Travel  — Watching  the  Sen 
tinels —  Land-marks  of  Travel  —  Conference  at  Lynn  —  Pittsfield  — 
Grand  Meeting  House  —  New  Divinity  Preacher  —  Character  of  Eastern 
"*  People — Medicinal  Waters  of  Lebanon  —  Devil's  Tents—  Con fcrence 


CONTENTS.  19 

at  Albany — Questions  of  Theology  discussed — Hudson  and  Rhine- 
beck —  Conference  in  New  York — Love-Feast  —  Dr.  L.'s  Preaching- 
Hospitality  of  Friends  —  Sermon  on  the  Lord's  Supper — Dr.  Langdon 
on  Revelations  —  Judge  White's  —  Milford —  Jefferson's  Notes  on  Vir 
ginia —  Incident  at  Judge  White's  —  Tribute  to  his  Memory.  .PAGE  240 

CHAPTER   XIV. 

Coke's  Return  from  England  —  A  Crisis  in  the  History  of  the  Church  — 
Statistics  in  1792  —  Friction  in  the  Machinery  of  Methodism  —  Power 
of  the  Episcopacy  — -  Causes  which  led  to  the  Formation  of  the  General 
Conference  —  Plan  of  a  Council  —  Plan  Adopted — Minutes  of  the  First 
Council  —  Members  present  —  Constitution  —  Resolutions  —  Second 
Council  —  Members  present — O'Kelly — Opposition  of  Lee  —  Last 
Council  held  —  Call  for  a  General  Conference — Duly  organized — By 
laws  adopted  —  Review  of  the  Discipline — Episcopal  Power  —  O'Kel- 
ly's  Resolution  —  Asbury  withdraws  from  the  Conference  Room  —  His 
Letter  to  the  Conference  —  Discussion  —  Episcopacy  sustained  —  Sub 
sequent  Revival  of  the  Question  —  Methodist  Protestant  Church — Lee's 
History  —  Questions  pertaining  to  the  Election,  Ordination,  and  Trial 
of  a  Bishop  —  Presiding  Elder  Question  —  Duties  defined  —  Provision 
for  Traveling  Preachers'  Wives — Salary  —  John  Dickins  appointed 
Agent  of  Book  Concern  —  Fee  for  performing  Marriage  Ceremony  — 
Money  to  be  given  to  the  Conference  —  Presents  to  be  accounted  for — 
Certificate  of  Removal  — -  Rule  of  Arbitration  adopted  —  Chapter  on 
Public  Worship  —  Asbury's  Reflections  on  the  General  Conference  — 
Opinion  of  O'Kelly  —  Revision  of  the  Discipline  —  End  of  the  Session 

—  Another  General  Conference  agreed  upon 25S 

CHAPTER   XV. 

Second  Decade  of  Methodism  passed  —  Results  of  Twenty-six  Years  — 
Position  of  the  Church  —  Southern  Tour  —  Whitefield's  Orphan  House 
in  Georgia  —  Melancholy  Reflections  —  Asbury  crosses  the  Wilderness 

—  Sick  —  Continental    Tour  —  Great    Sickness    in    New    York  —  Few 
Preachers  at  Conference  —  Yellow  Fever  in  Philadelphia  —  Day  of  Fast 
ing,  Humiliation,  and  Prayer — Pestilence  in  Maryland  —  Pass  from  a 
Health  Officer  — Preaches  in  Baltimore  —  Takes  up  Winter  Quarters  at 
Charleston  — Midnight   Journey  —  Father    Harper's   Plantation  — As- 


20  CONTENTS. 

bury  at  Baltimore  June,  1794 — Portrait  taken  at  request  of  Preachers 

—  Original  Picture  in  possession  of  Baltimore  Methodist  Historical  So 
ciety  —  Travels  to  Boston  —  Eemarks  —  New  York  Conference — Preach 
ing —  Yellow  Fever  at  Baltimore  —  Whisky  Insurrection  in  the  West 

—  Charleston  — Rough  Treatment  —  Leaves  the  South  — Trip  North 
ward—At  New  York  Fourth  of  July  — Eev.  Mr.  Ogden's  Work  on 
Eevealed  Religion  — New  England  —  Grave  of  Embury  at  Ashgrove  — 
Residence  of  Garrettson  —  Governor  Van  Cortlandt  —  At  the  Mansion 
of  his  friend  Wells  in  Charleston— His  Slaves  —  Asbury's  Labors  in 
Charleston  —  "Ben,"  the  Half-blood  Indian  Warrior  —  Thrilling  Ac 
count  of  Mrs.  Dickenson—  Constitution  for  a  Relief  Fund—  Asbury  in 
New  York — Explains  the  Discipline  to  the  Leaders  —  His  Definition 
of  Schism— New  England  Conference  —  Rumors  of  Yellow  Fever— 
Crossing  the   Bay  in  a  Storm  —  Conference  at  Philadelphia — Short 
Sketch  of  Benjamin  Abbott PAGE  277 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

General  Conference  in  Baltimore  in  1796  —  Number  of  Preachers  present 

—  Cradle  of  Southern  Methodism  —  Quadrennial  Greetings  —  Address 
of  British  Conference  —  Number  of  Conferences  —  Boundaries  —  Deed 
of  Settlement  —  Candidates  for  Deacon's  and  Elder's  Orders  —  Arrange- 

_,  inents  for  Publication  of  Books  —  Monthly  Magazine  —  Rules  for 
Seminaries  of  Learning  — Charter  Fund  — Preacher's  Fund  merged  — 
Regulations  in  regard  to  Marriage  —  Use  and  Sale  of  Ardent  Spirits  — 
Subject  of  African  Slavery  — Declaration  — Address  to  the  British 
Conference  — Southern  Tour  — Attack  of  Fever  — Coke  and  Whatcoat 

—  Unpleasant  Incident  — Mr.  Wesley  displeased  — Asbury's  Love  of 
American  Methodism  —  Light-street  Church  and  Asbury  College  de 
stroyed  by  Fire  — Dangerous  Illness  of  Mr.  Wells  — Death  — Tribute 
to  his  Memory  —  Dr.  Coke's  Oration  —  Notes  on  the  Discipline  —  Spring 

—  Gap  in  the  Mountain  —  Widow  Sherwood's  —  Dumb  Sabbaths  —  Re 
view  of  Labors  —  Jesse  Lee  in  Maine— Noble  Band  of  New  England 
Itinerants  —  The  eccentric  Father  Moodie  —  Conference  at  Rcadfield  — 
Preaches  in  Portland  —  Returns  —  Yellow  Fever  in  New  York  — Death 
of  John  Dickins  —  Testimonial  —  Conference  in  Philadelphia  and  New 
York —Accompanied  by  Lee  to  the  South  —  Intelligence  of  Wash 
ington's  Death  — Sermon  on  the  Occasion  —  Snethen  —  A  great  Fa 
vorite...  M 


CONTENTS.  21 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

General  Conference  in  Baltimore  in  1800  —  Address  of  the  British  Con 
ference —  Explanation  of  Dr.  Coke  —  Address  of  Asbury  to  the  Brit 
ish  Conference  —  His  Determination  to  resign  his  Office  —  Eesolution 
of  the  Conference  —  Election  of  Richard  Whatcoat  to  the  Episcopacy  — 
Asbury  and  Whatcoat  at  Perry  Hall  —  Abingdon  —  Ruins  of  the  Col 
lege  —  New  York  Conference  —  Revival  in  the  Bowery  Church  —  "Wid 
ow  Sherwood's  —  Boston  —  Bishops  preach  in  the  Tabernacle  — 
Mother  Livingston  —  Her  Conversion  —  Hospitality  —  Garrettson's  — 
Crossing  the  Wilderness  —  Conference  at  Bethel  —  Preachers  present  — 
Nashville  —  Origin  of  Camp-meetings  —  Asbury  confined  at  Philadel 
phia  —  Western  Conference  in  Tennessee  —  Poythress  —  Recrosses  tho 
Mountains  —  Spends  the  Winter  in  South  Carolina — Baltimore  —  Maine 
—  A  charming  Spot  —  His  Mother's  Death  —  Tribute  to  her  Memory  — 
Death  of  Rev.  Devereux  Jarratt  —  Memorial  —  Funeral  Sermon  —  New 
York  Conference  — Fredericktown  —  Natural  Bridge — Revival  at  Hoi- 
stein  —  Conference  —  At  Station  Camp  —  Night  Encampment  —  Mount 
ain  Dew  —  No  Tent  —  Opinion  of  Southern  Planters — Baltimore — • 
Compliment  to  —  Perry  Hall  —  Miss  De  Peyster's  Legacy  —  Sermon  in 
John  street —  Ordains  Joshua  Soule —  Ashgrove  — Pittsburgh — Zane'a 
Trace  —  Lancaster  —  Western  Conference  in  Kentucky — Visit  to  Dr. 
Hinde  —  Interesting  Incident  —  Illness  —  Depression  —  Legacy  —  Ten- 
;  —  Virginia PAGE  318 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

General  Conference  of  1804  —  Conferences  represented — Ratio  of  Repre 
sentation  —  Composition  of—  Revision  of  the  Discipline  —  Boundaries 

—  Presiding  Elder  Question — -Resolution  of  Garrettson  on  the  Subject 
of  Slavery — Dr.  Coke  granted  Leave  to  return  to  England  —  Perry 
Hall  —  Philadelphia    and   New  York  —  New  Haven  —  Middletown — 
Conference   at   Buxton — Remarkable    Camp-meetings  —  Quakers    in 
Massachusetts  —  Rhinebeck  —  The  Congregations  in  New  York  —  Ad 
dress  to  Quarterly  Conferences  —  Secessionists  return  —  O'Kelly's  Zeal 

—  The  Methodist  People  independent  —  Railers  —  Conference  in  Balti 
more —  Camp-meeting  at  Musquito  Cove  on  Long  Island  —  Brooklyn  — 
Regular  Succession — Asbury's  short  Way— Camp-meeting — New  York 


22  CONTENTS. 

Conference  —  New  England  Conference  —  Yellow  Fever  at  New  Haven 

—  Prohibited  from  entering  New  York  and  Philadelphia  —  The  Alle- 
ghanies  —  Ohio     Kiver  —  Wheeling  —  Zanesville  —  Chillicothe  —  Lost 
in  the  "Woods  —First  Visit  to  Cincinnati  —  Eeply  to  Dr.  Coke's  Letter 

—  Eesolution  in  regard  to  a  Delegated  General  Conference  —  Danger 
ous  Illness  of  Bishop  Whatcoat — Camp-meeting  at  Philip's  Manor  — 
New  York  Conference  —  Establishing  the  Episcopacy  —  Mountains  of 
Western  Virginia — Camp-meeting  —  Tour  among  the  Log  Cabins  of 
the  "West  —  Encouragement PAGE  353 

CHAPTER   XIX. 

Mountains  of  "Western  Virginia  —  Camp-meeting  Scenes  —  Asbury's  Visit 

—  Rev.    Henry  Boehm  —  Reese    Wolf — Hockhocking — -Preaching — 
Tour  through  Ohio  —  Pioneer  Settlers  —  Log  Cabins  —  Hospitable  but 
hard  Fare  —  Asbury's  Lecture  —  Interesting  Incident  —  Love-feast  — 
One  of  Asbury's  Converts  —  Virginia  Hospitality  —  Social  Gathering  — 
Description  of  Guests  —  Subjects  of  Conversation 370 

CHAPTER   XX. 

Asbury  in  the  far  South  —  Conference  at  Newbern,  North  Carolina  — 
Baltimore  Conference  —  Virginia  —  Delaware  —  Philadelphia  —  Green 
Mountains,  Vermont  —  Conference  in  Boston  —  Lakes  —  Moravians  at 
Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania  —  First  Conference  northwest  of  the  Ohio  — 
Indian  Invasion  —  Shakers  at  Lebanon,  Ohio  —  Philip  Gatch's  —  Cin 
cinnati —  Camp-meeting  —  Additions  to  the  Hymn  Book  —  Charleston 

—  Western  Conference  —  Conference  at  Alexandria — Perry  Hall  in 
Mourning  —  General  Conference  in  Baltimore  —  New  Church  in  Eutaw- 
street  dedicated  —  Portrait  of  Asbury  taken  by  Order  of  the  General 
Conference  —  Whatcoat  —  Coke's  Proposal  to  divide  the  Continent  into 
Two  separate  Dioceses  —  Bishop   White   Affair  —  M'Kendree  elected 
Bishop  —  Western  Pioneer  —  Memorial  of  New  York  Conference  —  Re 
strictive  Rules  —  Subject  of  Slavery  —  Proposal  to  strike  the  Section 
from  the  Discipline  —  First  Two  Paragraphs  retained  —  Asbury's  Mo 
tion  —  Asbury  and  Boehm  —  Western  Travels  —  Indiana  —  Regulation 
on  Slavery  —  Crosses  the  Wilderness  —  Asbury  and  M'Kendree  in  a 
Thirty  Dollar  Chaise  — Rembert's   Chapel  —  Virginia  Conference  — 


CONTENTS.  23 

Attempt  to  prejudice  Slaveholders  against  the  Methodists  — New  York 
and  New  England  Presbyterians  —  Cincinnati  —  Camp-meeting  —  "  Old 
Stone  "  —  Conference  —  Baltimore  Hospitality  —  Pittsfield  —  "  Perpet 
ual  Hills"  — Boston  —  South  called  on  to  assist  Boston  Methodists  — 
Lee's  History  —  Comments  —  Review  —  Life  in  the  Mountains  —  Awful 
Wilderness  —  Discipline  translated  into  German  —  West  —  Governor 
Worthington  —  Virginia — Great  Fire  in  New  York  —  Genestje  Confer 
ence —  Wise  Men  of  New  York  Conference  —  Mad  Kiver  —  Dayton, 
Ohio  —  South  Carolina . . ,  . .  PAGE  393 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

General  Conference  in  New  York,  May,  1812  —  Adoption  of  Rules  —  Let 
ter  from  Dr.  Coke  —  Bishop  M'Kendree's  Address  —  Genesee  Confer 
ence  recognized  —  Asbury's  Address  to  the  Conference  —  M'Kendree's 
Reply  —  Asbury's  Desire  to  return  to  England — Collection  of  Materials 
for  a  History  of  the  Church  —  Dr.  Bangs' s  History  —  Division  of  the 
Western  Conference  —  Missionary  Society  —  Subject  of  Slavery — Last 
General  Conference  he  attended — Sherwood  Vale  —  Governor  Van 
Cortlandt  —  Illness  —  Conference  at  Albany  —  Conference  at  Lynn  — 
War  declared  —  Secession  —  Genesee  Conference  — •  West  —  Beauti 
ful  Country  of  the  Wyoming  —  Remarks  on  the  War  —  Judge  Van 
Meter  —  White  Brown's  —  Ohio  Conference  —  Cincinnati  —  Frankfort, 
Kentucky  —  Louisville  —  Labors  in  Nashville  —  Charleston  —  General 
Lee  —  Carried  into  Church  —  Invitation  from  British  Conference  —  Bal 
timore  Conference  —  Philadelphia  —  New  York  Conference  —  M'Ken- 
dree  —  Valedictory  Address  to  —  Writes  his  last  Will  —  Remarks 
about  New  England  —  New  York  Conference  —  Tomb  of  Henry  Willis 
— The  poor  Africans  —  Dr.  Hinde  —  Tennessee  Conference  —  Valedic 
tory  Address  to  Presiding  Elders  —  Funeral  Sermon  on  the  Death 
of  Otterbein  —  Sick  at  Perry  Hall  —  John  Wesley  Bond  —  Ohio  Con 
ference  —  Gloomy  Tidings  of  War  —  Conference  —  Illness  —  Baltimore 

—  Last  Visit  to   Perry  Hall  —  New  York  Conference  —  Preached  the 
Funeral  Sermon  of  Dr.  Coke  —  Tribute  —  Massachusetts  —  Last  Ser 
mon  in  Boston  —  New  York  —  Philadelphia  —  Crosses  the  Mountains 

—  David  Young  —  Chillicothe  —  Eleanor  Worthington  —  Reflections  on 
the  Overthrow  of  Buonaparte — Ohio  Conference  —  Bishop  M'Kendrce 

—  Conference  at  Lexington,  Kentucky  —  Funeral  Sermon 432 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Educational  Advantages  —  His  Devotion  to  Study  — His  Knowledge  of 
the  Languages  — Thorough  Course  of  Heading  —  Hebrew  Bible°  and 
Greek  Testament  his  constant  Companions  —  Critical  Exegesis  — Power 
of  Discrimination  — Style  of  Writing— Imagination  and  Wit  —  Speci 
mens  —  Gracefulness  of  Style  —  Specimens  —  An  Appreciative  Sense 
of  the  Beautiful  — A  Man  of  Sympathy  —  Notices  of  Books  in  his 
Course  of  Reading  —  Criticisms  —  His  Skeletons  of  Sermons  —  Secret 
of  his  success  as  a  Student— Method  of  Study  — His  Library  —  Prep 
arations  for  the  Pulpit  — Obituaries  in  the  early  Minutes  written  by 
Asbury  —  Epistolary  Correspondence  —  Letters PAGE  470 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

His  last  Bound  —  Unceasing  Toil  — The  ruling  Passion  —  Entry  in  his 
Journal  — Journey  through  North  and  South  Carolina  —  Arrival  at 
Eichmond,  Virginia  —  Dissuaded  from  Preaching  —  Determined  to 
preach  once  more  — Is  carried  into  the  Church— Beautiful  Morning  — 

His  Text  on  the  Occasion  —  His  Audience  —  An  impressive  Scene 

Close  of  the  Discourse  —  Anxiety  to  reach  Baltimore  —  Farewell  —  Ar 
rives  at  the  Eesidence  of  his  old  Friend,  Mr.  George  Arnold— Illness 
increased  —  Unable  to  proceed  further  —  His  Sufferings  —  Sabbath  — 
Family  called  together  for  Religious  Service  —  Bond,  his  traveling  Com 
panion,  reads  and  expounds  the  Scriptures  —  Conclusion  of  Services  — 
While  sitting  in  his  Chair  the  Spirit  of  Asbury  passed  away  — His 
Funeral  — Burial— Request  of  the  Citizens  of  Baltimore  made  to  the 
General  Conference  —  His  Remains  removed  to  Eutaw-street  Church  — 
Vast  Procession  —  Funeral  Oration  pronounced  by  Bishop  M'Kendree  — 
Epitaph  — Resolutions  of  the  Baltimore  Conference  in  1856  in  relation 
to  the  Erection  of  a  Monument  in  Mount  Olivet  Cemetery  — Reflec 
tions  tt  486 


LIFE  AND  TIMES 


FRANCIS  ASBTJEY 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  Eelation  of  Childhood  to  Manhood  —  Province  of  Education  —  Di 
versity  of  Mind  —  Basis  of  Distinction  —  Asbury's  Birth — 'Parentage 

—  Native  Character — Influence  of  Eeligion  —  Death  of  his  Sister  —  Its 
Effect  on  his  youthful  Mind  —  His  early  Conversion  —  School  Days  — 
Cruel  Treatment  —  Change  of  Eesidence —  An  Irreligious  Family — • 
Trials  —  Eeturns  Home  —  Learns  a  Trade  —  Course  of  Eeading  —  Im 
portance  of  right  Kind  —  Pernicious  Principle  —  Hears  of  the  Method 
ists  through  his  Mother  —  Attends  their  Preaching  —  His  Impressions 

—  Eeligious  Enjoyment  —  Holds  Prayer  Meetings  —  Opposition  —  Meet 
ings  for  Prayer  and  Exhortation  in  his  Father's  House --Extends  his 
Sphere  of  Labor  —  Souls  converted  —  Licensed  to  Preach  —  Early  La 
bors  —  Appointed  to  a  Circuit  —  Conference  at  Bristol  in  1771  —  Vol 
unteers  as  a  Missionary  to  America,  and  is  accepted. 

"THE  child  is  father  to  the  man."  Perhaps,  more 
properly  speaking,  it  may  be  said  the  child  is  the 
model  of  the  man.  Barely  does  it  happen  that  dis 
tinguishing  traits  of  character  are  found  to  exist  in 
persons  whose  early  life  and  training  have  not  been 
marked  with  distinctive  peculiarities.  The  practised 
eye  of  the  botanist  can  detect  in  the  germ  of  the 
acorn  the  quality  and  size  of  the  future  oak,  and  the 


26  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

laws  of  nature  are  not  more  invariable  in  their  ope 
ration  than  are  the  laws  of  mind.  Inspiration  gives 
prominence  to  the  fact  that  there  is  an  important 
relation  between  right  training  and  character,  and 
has  assumed  it  as  an  axiom  in  human  development, 
and  the  experience  and  history  of  the  world  most 
clearly  attest  its  truth. 

That  the  child  stands  related  in  a  most  important 
and  significant  sense  to  the  future  man,  is  a  natural 
fact  current  and  patent  to  all  nations,  and  recognized 
in  all  religions  and  forms  of  instruction.  We  readily 
admit  that  education  sustains  an  important  place  in 
the  formation  or  cultivation  of  the  mind,  but  it  can 
not  impart  a  quality  to  mind.  Quality  is  native  and 
inborn ;  and  to  affirm  that  all  minds  possess  the  same 
type,  is  to  affirm  what  is  not  true,  and  what  is 
contradicted  by  all  history  and  experience.  To  be 
sure,  mind  is  mind,  just  as  marble  is  marble  ;  but 
there  are  different  casts  in  the  former,  just  as 
there  are  different  qualities  and  shades  in  the  latter. 
Endless  variety  characterizes  all  the  works  of  crea 
tion,  and  this  variety  pervades  the  world  of  mind  as 
well  as  the  world  of  matter.  What  wonderful  vari 
eties  of  mind  are  found  in  children  even  of  the  same 
parents,  and  how  strikingly  is  the  fact  illustrated ! 
Were  all  minde  alike,  then  it  is  perfectly  obvious 
that  the  same  training  under  the  same  circumstances 
would  produce  the  same  results.  Every  day's  ex- 


FRANCIS    ASBURY. 

perience,  however,  shows  that  this  is  very  far  from 
being  the  case. 

It  is  a  common  remark,  made  in  relation  to  a  por 
tion  of  mankind,  that  they  are  "cast  in  nature's 
finest  mold  ;"  and  we  hear  the  equally  common  re 
mark  of  others,  that  "  they  are  rough  specimens  of 
humanity."  "Why  this  diversity  exists,  it  is  not  our 
province  to  know.  God,  who  "has  made  of  one 
blood  all  nations  of  men  upon  the  earth."  and  has 
"  fixed  the  bounds  of  their  habitation,"  has  made  us  to 
differ;  but  the  reasons  for  this  diversity  are  among 
the  mysteries  of  his  works,  which  are  beyond  the 
reach  of  man. 

Whatever  is  essential  to  mind,  however,  is  com 
mon  to  all  minds,  just  as  what  is  essential  to  matter 
is  common  to  all  matter ;  but  the  possession  of  these 
essential  attributes  is  compatible  with  the  most  end 
less  variety  in  formations,  orders,  and  classes.  We 
assign  to  rocks  certain  formations ;  to  animals,  cer 
tain  orders ;  to  plants,  certain  species  ;  and  to  minds, 
certain  classes.  Nothing  is  more  common  than  to 
speak  of  a  class  of  minds,  and  to  assign  them  a  place 
in  the  world  of  intellect.  This  latter  remark,  how 
ever,  is  predicated  of  quality,  and  not  of  anything 
acquired.  Education  only  develops  the  latent  pow 
ers  of  the  mind,  and  disciplines  the  native  forces  of 
the  intellect  to  action.  Perception,  imagination, 
judgment,  and  consciousness  are  no  more  the  product 


28 


LIFE    AND   TIMES    OF 


of  education  than  the  mind  itself,  and  where  either 
of  these  are  absent  or  defective  in  the  original 
quality  no  education  can  impart  them. 

"We  have  pursued  this  train  of  thought  further 
than  we  intended,  and  yet  we  think  it  is  worthy  of 
more  consideration  than  has  generally  been  given  to 
it.  What  we  designed  in  our  preliminary  remarks 
was  simply  to  reiterate  the  generally  acknowledged 
fact,  that  great  eminence  and  distinction  in  the  world 
come  not  from  chance,  nor  yet  from  any  particu 
larly  favorable  circumstances,  though  these  must,  to 
some  extent,  exist,  but  from  an  original  quality 
inhering  in  the  mind  itself  as  the  basis  thereof. 

Francis  Asbury  was  born  on  the  20th  of  August, 
1Y45,  near  the  foot  of  Hempstead  Bridge  in  Stafford 
shire,  a  short  distance  from  Birmingham.  His 
father's  Christian  name  was  Joseph,  and  his  mother's 
Elizabeth.  His  parents,  we  are  told,  were  "  amiable 
and  respectable."  How  much  is  embraced  in  these 
two  words!  "With  the  parents  of  young  Asbury 
amiability  was  not  a  feigned  but  real  possession. 
The  basis  of  their  gentleness  was  in  their  hearts,  and 
added  to  it  were  the  genial  influences  of  religion. 
Grace  has  wonderful  power  to  soften  and  refine  the 
manners,  as  whatsoever  is  "lovely  and  of  good 
report "  is  produced  by  its  operation. 

But  what  is  more,  the  parents  belonged  to  the  bet 
ter  class  of  England's  population.  By  this  we  do  not 


FRANCIS    ASBUEY.  29 

mean  that  they  were  allied  to  the  nobility,  but  they 
were  of  what  we  would  consider  the  real  aristocracy 
of  England,  occupying  a  middle  position  between  the 
idle,  effeminate,  and  vicious  of  the  upper  classes,  and 
the  ignorant,  degraded,  and  sunken  of  the  lower.  Yir- 
tue,  morality,  and  religion,  as  well  as  patriotism  and 
true  loyalty,  in  every  country  enlightened  and  refined, 
have  always  been  found  among  the  middle  classes  to 
a  far  greater  extent  than  among  the  higher.  It  was 
from  this  class  young  Asbury  sprung.  But  what  is 
more  than  all  this,  and  what  in  the  language  of  Addi- 
son  constitutes  the  highest  style  of  humanity,  they 
were  Christians.  From  such  a  parentage  we  may 
well  look  for  children  of  the  right  stamp.  These 
godly  parents  were  blessed  with  but  two  children, 
Francis  and  a  lovely  daughter,  who,  like  a  fair 
and  beauteous  flower,  bloomed  a  few  short  summers 
by  their  side,  and  was  transplanted  in  a  more  genial 
clime.  The  transit  from  earth  to  heaven  of  the  loved 
one  preyed  heavily  upon  the  youthful  heart  of  the 
bereaved  brother,  and  gave  to  his  ardent  affections 
a  heavenly  turn ;  and  thus  to  the  many  examples  of 
youthful  piety  furnished  in  sacred  and  profane 
history,  was  added  another  prominent  one  in  the 
conversion  of  Francis  at  the  early  age  of  seven. 

The  father  of  young  Asbury,  though  not  wealthy, 
was  in  comfortable  circumstances;  and  being  de 
sirous  of  giving  his  son  all  the  advantages  of 


30  LIFE   AND    TIMES    OF 

education,  he  placed  him  early  in  school  to  one 
Anther  Taylor,  at  Sneal's  Green,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Barr,  whither  he  had  removed.  When  between  the 
age  of  six  and  seven  Francis  commenced  reading  the 
Bible,  and  he  says,  in  his  short  biography  of  himself, 
that  he  uwas  greatly  delighted  in  the  historical  part 
of  it."  At  this  school  another  kind  of  discipline 
awaited  him,  different  from  that  of  a  mental  char 
acter.  His  teacher,  he  informs  us,  was  cruel  and 
tyrannical,  and  vented  his  spleen  upon  the  children 
committed  to  his  care.  Being  a  child  of  God,  even 
such  a  discipline  was  made  to  work  for  young 
Asbury's  good.  The  sufferings  he  endured  from  this 
pedagogue  of  "brief  authority "  were  borne  submis 
sively  by  the  child  and  carried  to  a  throne  of  grace. 
In  his  own  expressive  language,  "  God  was  very  near 
to  him,"  and  proved  "  a  very  present  help  in  time  of 
trouble."  He  knew  his  father's  anxiety  about  his  ed 
ucation,  and  this,  doubtless,  had  its  effect  in  prompt 
ing  him  to  bear  longer  than  he  otherwise  would  the 
unkind  treatment  he  received.  The  very  presence  of 
such  meekness  and  submission  in  the  child,  instead 
of  assuaging  the  wrath  of  the  tyrant,  seemed  only  to 
whet  his  tigerlike  appetite,  and  his  cruelty  became 
so  great  that  it  was  no  longer  endurable.  The  result 
was  that  Francis  was  taken  from  school,  and  thus 
snatched  from  the  clutches  of  the  teacher  as  the 
prey  from  the  mouth  of  the  destroyer. 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  31 

It  was  evident  that  God  was  preparing  him  for  a 
great  and  important  work  in  the  world,  and  as  the 
Israelites  were  not  allowed  to  enter  Canaan  until  after 
forty  years'  suffering  in  the  desert  had  prepared  them 
for  the  promised  inheritance,  and  as  our  divine  Lord 
himself  entered  not  into  glory  until  he  passed  through 
the  severe  discipline  of  a  sorrowful  life  and  an  igno 
minious  death,  and  as  his  followers  generally  are 
"  made  perfect  through  suffering,"  so  the  future  zeal 
ous,  self-sacrificing,  and  devoted  preacher  was  called 
to  the  trial  of  his  faith.  From  school  he  was  removed 
to  another  part  of  the  parish,  and  became  an  inmate 
of  one  of  the  wealthy  and  fashionable  families  of  that 
neighborhood.  In  this  house  God  was  not  known, 
as  it  seems  its  inmates  were  of  those  who  "  called  not 
upon  his  name." 

We  may  stop  here  to  ask  what  is  wealth,  position, 
and  influence  among  those  who  are  denominated 
"  the  first  families,"  and  who  move  in  the  highest 
circles  of  genteel  society,  and  claim  an  alliance  with 
the  nobility  of  the  land,  if  the  blessing  of  God  rests 
not  upon  them  ?  As  that  nation  in  the  highest  sense 
is  a  "  royal  nation,"  and  that  people  "a  peculiar  peo 
ple,"  who  are  allied  to  Jehovah  as  their  King,  so  that 
family  rises  in  dignity  and  importance  which  walks  in 
the  fear  of  the  Lord  and  the  light  of  his  countenance. 
His  stay  with  this  family,  surrounded  as  he  was  with 
the  blandishments  of  fashionable  society,  and  the  con- 


32  LIFE   AND    TIMES    OF 

slant  example  of  a  vain  and  frivolous  course  of  life 
proved  a  much  sorer  trial  of  his  faith  than  any  through 
which  he  had  passed.  The  afflictions  he  endured  at 
school  drove  him  near  to  God,  and  kept  him  humble; 
but  the  circumstances  by  which  he  was  surrounded 
in  this  irreligious  family  had  a  tendency  to  draw  him 
from  the  Lord.  His  faith,  however,  though  severely 
tried,  proved  adequate  to  the  test,  and  though,  to 
use  his  own  language,  he  "  became  somewhat  vain," 
having  naturally  a  light  and  joyous  disposition,  "he 
did  not  become  openly  wicked." 

After  remaining  some  months  with  this  family  he 
returned  to  the  paternal  roof.  He  was  now  in  his 
fourteenth  year,  and  it  became  necessary  for  him  to 
make  choice  of  some  branch  of  business.  Having 
made  a  selection  of  a  trade  suited  to  his  judgment 
and  taste,  he  entered  upon  it  and  prosecuted  it  with 
all  diligence.  While  engaged  in  this  business  he 
became  the  inmate  of  a  kind  family,  who,  he  says, 
treated  him  like  a  son.  His  religious  feelings,  which 
had  met  with  a  temporary  interruption,  very  soon 
returned  to  him,  and  he  recommenced  prayer  morn 
ing  and  evening,  being,  as  he  says,  "drawn  by  the 
cords  of  love  as  with  the  bands  of  a  man."  His  faith 
was  strengthened  and  his  enjoyments  heightened  by 
frequent  attendance  at  Bromwich  church,  where  he 
heard  Ryland,  Stillingfleet,  Talbott,  Bagnall,  Mans 
field,  Hawes,  and  Venn,  some  of  whom  were  among 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  33 

the  most  distinguished  ministers  and  ornaments  of 
the  English  pulpit. 

At  this  time  he  devoted  himself  more  particularly 
to  reading  and  study.  Among  the  books  he  read 
was  Whitefield's  Sermons.  The  course  of  reading 
in  which  he  took  most  delight  was  of  a  religious  char 
acter,  and  the  department  under  this  head  embraced 
mostly  those  books  of  a  practical  and  experimental 
description.  How  important  in  the  formation  of  a 
religious  character  is  it  that  the  right  kind  of  books 
be  read ;  for,  whatever  may  be  the  experience  in  after 
life,  the  religious  faith  will  take  its  tone  and  coloring 
in  a  great  degree  from  the  mental  aliment.  Those 
who  in  early  life  are  indoctrinated  in  the  Westminster 
Confession  of  Faith,  the  Augsburg  Confession,  or  the 
Thirty-nine  Articles,  and  works  which  fall  in  the  line 
of  these  doctrines,  no  matter  what  may  afterward  be 
their  Church  relations,  will  find  it  difficult  to  divest 
themselves  entirely  of  their  early  impressions.  Hence 
it  is  of  the  greatest  importance  that  our  youth  have 
the  right  kind  of  books  brought  in  contact  with  their 
minds  in  the  forming  stage  of  their  religious  character. 
The  principle  adopted  by  some  parents  is  of  the  most 
latitudinary  character.  They  say,  Let  the  children 
alone  in  their  choice  of  books,  and  also  in  their 
choice  of  a  Church,  until  they  grow  up  and  are  able 
to  judge  for  themselves.  Such  advice  we  regard  as 
infidel,  and  pernicious  in  a  high  degree.  If  it  be 


34  LIFE   AND    TIMES    OF 

right  to  act  upon  this  principle  in  regard  to  a  ques 
tion  of  such  vital  moment,  and  one  involving  happi 
ness  for  time  and  eternity,  as  the  question  of  a  right 
faith  does,  then  is  it  equally  right,  nay,  more  so,  to 
allow  them  the  largest  liberty  in  regard  to  all  their 
choices. 

Fortunately  for  young  Asbury,  his  religious  tastes 
led  him  to  seek  the  right  kind  of  spiritual  food,  and 
those  books  only  were  read  which  were  adapted  to 
his  religious  habitudes  and  feelings.  The  opportu 
nity  which  he  enjoyed  of  hearing  sermons  from  pious 
and  distinguished  divines,  and  of  reading  books  of  a 
religious  character,  greatly  sharpened  his  appetite 
for  spiritual  things,  and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered 
at  that  he  was  on  the  alert  for  anything  of  interest 
that  might  come  up  in  the  religious  world  around 
him.  Until  now  he  had  not  heard  of  the  Methodists. 
Like  Fletcher,  who  in  the  early  part  of  his  religious 
career  was  ignorant  of  them,  the  sect  everywhere  de 
nounced  as  the  wildest  fanatics  was  to  him  unknown. 
He  had,  however,  tasted  of  the  spirit  of  Methodism, 
for  the  piety  which  still  lingered  in  the  old  Church 
of  the  Reformation  was  baptized  by  that  name 
wherever  it  was  found.  If  any  were  suspected,  either 
among  Churchmen  or  Dissenters,  of  being  more 
than  ordinarily  prayerful  or  devotional  in  spirit  or 
practice,  they  were  at  once  branded  as  Methodists. 
It  may  have  been  that  young  Asbury's  studious  and 


FRANCIS    ASBUKY.  35 

prayerful  habits  first  introduced  him  to  the  name. 
But  be  that  as  it  may,  it  came  to  his  ears,  and  as  soon 
as  the  opportunity  presented  itself  he  asked  his  pious 
mother  who  the  Methodists  were,  and  where  they 
could  be  found.  He  doubtless  felt  a  desire  kindred 
to  that  of  Fletcher  to  behold  this  strange  religious 
sect,  whose  zeal  for  God  and  religion  had  "given  them 
notoriety.  From  his  mother  he  received  a  most 
favorable  account,  and  besides,  she  directed  him  to  a 
person  who  could  give  him  all  the  information  he  de 
sired  about  them.  That  person  he  soon  found,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  he  availed  himself  of  the  opportu 
nity  of  accompanying  him  to  a  neighboring  town  to 
hear  them  for  himself.  When  they  arrived  at  the 
place  of  meeting  he  was  surprised  to  find  that  it  was 
not  a  church.  The  service  was  probably  held  in  a 
private  house,  or  a.  barn,  or  perhaps  in  the  open 
field ;  as  regards  this  Asbury  does  not  inform  us ;  but 
he  does  enter  minutely  into  a  description  of  the 
people  and  their  exercises,  the  latter  of  which  wrere 
different  from  anything  he  had  ever  witnessed  before, 
and  made  an  impression  which  was  never  erased. 
Though  the  people  had  not  assembled  in  a  church, 
with  its  tower,  and  bell,  and  organ, 

"  And  storied  windows,  richly  dight, 
That  cast  a  dim  religious  light," 

yet  he  entered  where  the  congregation  "  sat  together 


36  LIFE    AXD    TIMES    OF 

in  heavenly  places,"  and  "  worshiped  at  the  very 
gate  of  heaven."  To  use  his  own  simple,  nervous 
language,  "It  was  better  than  a  church,  the  people 
were  so  devout;  men  and  women  kneeling,  and  all 
saying  amen."  After  prayer,  "  with  fhe  spirit  and 
understanding,  they  all  united  in  singing  a  hymn  of 
praise."  The  soul  of  the  worshipers  was  in  the 
sound,  and  it  was  more  sweet  and  entrancing  than 
any  that  had  ever  fallen  upon  the  young  stranger's 
ear.  But  how  was  his  astonishment  increased  to  find 
that  the  prayer  which  had  been  offered  was  not  dic 
tated  by  a  prayer-book.  Could  it  be  possible  that  so 
wonderful  a  prayer  could  come  out  of  untaught  lips. 
Wonders  began,  but  wonders  were  not  to  cease  with 
his  first  introduction  to  the  Methodists ;  stranger 
sights  were  to  be  presented  to  his  eyes,  and  stranger 
sounds  were  to  fall  upon  his  ears  than  lie  had  yet  seen 
or  heard.  The  preacher  rose  and  took  his  text,  but  lie 
had  no  manuscript  before  him ;  and  if  he  had,  there 
would  have  been  no  velvet-cushioned  pulpit  on  which 
to  place  it.  The  sermon  was  plain,  practical,  pointed, 
full  of  unction,  and  attended  with  the  demonstration 
of  the  Spirit  and  power  to  the  hearts  and  consciences 
of  all. 

Prepared  as  was  young  Asbury  for  the  scenes  he 
witnessed,  notwithstanding  the  astonishment  they  cre 
ated,  he  soon  partook  of  their  spirit,  and  commenced, 
"after  the  \vay  others  called  heresy,  to  worship  the 


FKANCIS    ASBURY.  3T 

God  of  his  fathers."  Several  times  he  attended  these 
meetings,  and  at  every  time  with  increasing  interest, 
and  in  "  the  fellowship  of  kindred  minds  "  he  made 
rapid  progress  in  spiritual  life.  Though  his  joy  was 
not  so  full  as  that  of  some  others,  who  would  becloud 
his  faith  by  telling  him  that  "  a  believer  was  as 
happy  as  if  he  were  in  heaven,"  yet  he  "  was  happy, 
free  from  guilt  and  fear,  and  had  power  over  sin, 
with  the  possession  of  great  inward  joy." 

Feeling  that  it  was  his  duty  to  hold  prayer-meet 
ings  in  the  neighborhood,  he  united  as  many  with 
him  as  he  could  of  like  faith,  and  commenced  relig 
ious  services  in  the  house  of  a  friend.  These  meet 
ings  were  largely  attended.  Multitudes,  attracted 
by  the  voice  of  praise  and  prayer  in  places  where 
these  sounds  were  before  unknown,  came  to  the 
meetings ;  many  from  idle  curiosity,  but  more  were 
prompted  by  a  spirit  of  opposition,  as  appears  from 
the  fact  that  the  friends  at  whose  houses  the  meet 
ings  were  held,  fearing  an  outbreak,  were  unwilling 
to  have  them  continued.  Opposition,  however,  could 
not  daunt  or  damp  the  zeal  of  the  young  soldier  of 
the  cross ;  and  though  obliged  to  desist  from  holding 
meetings  at  these  places,  he  was  favored  with  an 
other  sanctuary,  and  that  was  home.  In  his  father's 
house  he  resumed  the  meetings  for  prayer,  and, 
unmolested,  exhorted,  with  fervency  and  power, 
the  multitudes  who  came  there,  to  flee  the  wrath 


38  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

to  come  and  be  saved  from  their  sins.  He  also 
extended  the  sphere  of  his  labors  to  Sutton-Cofields, 
where  he  was  greatly  encouraged  and  strengthened 
in  his  work  by  witnessing  the  conversion  of  several 
souls.  He  went  to  Bromwich-Heath  several  times 
for  the  purpose  of  attending  class-meeting,  a  means 
of  grace  which  he  much  enjoyed,  and  which  he  ever 
after  availed  himself  of  when  opportunity  presented. 
He  also  attended  band-meeting  at  Wednesbury,  the 
place  where  he  first  heard  Methodist  preaching,  as 
above  described.  These  last  means  of  grace  formed 
distinctive  peculiarities  in  the  Wesleyan  connection, 
though  the  latter  has  been  abandoned  in  America, 
more,  however,  on  account  of  their  disuse  than  from 
any  want  of  confidence  in  their  importance  in  pro 
moting  the  piety  of  those  who  attended  them ;  and 
class-meetings  are  perhaps  more  effectual  in  keeping 
up  the  life  and  power  of  religion,  and  advancing 
personal  holiness,  than  any  other  prudential  means 
devised  by  the  Church.  It  is  a  matter  of  general 
observation  that  attendance  on  class-meetings  in  any 
particular  charge  is  perhaps  the  surest  indication  of 
the  tone  of  piety. 

The  fervency  and  eloquence  which  characterized 
his  prayers  and  exhortations  excited  the  wonder  of 
all,  and  when  he  first  appeared  and  took  part  in 
Methodist  meetings,  the  preachers,  as  well  as  the 
people,  were  surprised  at  his  wonderful  gifts.  The 


FRANCIS    ASBUKY.  39 

question  was,  Where  did  he  acquire  such  self-pos 
session,  such  readiness  of  utterance,  such  fluency  and 
appropriateness  of  language  ?  Had  they  known  how 
faithfully  he  read  his  Bible,  and  with  what  avidity 
he  devoured  the  sermons  and  religious  books  within 
his  reach,  but,  above  all,  the  fact  that  his  mother 
was  accustomed  to  take  him  with  her  regularly  to  a 
female  meeting  for  the  purpose  of  reading  and  ex 
pounding  the  Scriptures  and  giving  out  the  hymns, 
they  would  not  have  been  at  a  loss  to  conjecture 
from  whence  the  youth  obtained  his  furniture  of 
mind  and  his  facility  in  religious  exercises.  It  was 
not  long  before  the  society  became  convinced  that 
one  who  had  such  gifts  and  grace,  and  whose  labors 
had  been  blessed  to  the  awakening  and  conver 
sion  of  souls,  was  called  of  God  to  enter  upon  the 
work  of  the  ministry  proper.  He  was  impressed 
not  only  with  a  sense  of  its  importance,  and  the 
duty  of  giving  himself  wholly  to  the  work,  but 
the  voice  of  the  Church,  as  the  voice  of  God,  con 
curring  therewith,  deepened  and  strengthened  that 
impression,  and  determined  his  future  course.  From 
the  preacher  in  charge  of  the  circuit  he  received 
license  as  a  local  preacher,  and  he  was  accordingly 
soon  introduced  to  Methodist  chapels,  in  which  he 
held  forth  the  word  of  life  to  "  wondering,  weeping 
thousands."  Multitudes  were  attracted  by  his  ex 
treme  youth,  not  being  more  than  seventeen  years  of 


40 


LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 


age.     He  sustained  a  local  relation  for  several  years, 
though,  in  fact,   he  was  a  traveling  preacher;    and 
visiting  various  places  in  Derbyshire,  Staffordshire, 
Warwickshire,  and  "Worcestershire,  he  preached  the 
Gospel  to  the  crowds   who   attended   his  ministry. 
Besides  his  Sabbath  labors,  he  preached  during  the 
week  three  or  four  times,  and  often  five  times.     Thus 
he  continued,  in  season  and  out  of  season,  preaching 
far  and  near  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
when  he  was  received  into  the  Wesleyan  Conference,' 
and  appointed  to  labor  on  a  circuit,  according  to  the 
Wesleyan  form.     He  was  now  engaged  in  the  work 
to  which  he  was  called,  and  he  gave  himself  up  ex 
clusively  to  it,  and  as  an  obedient  son  in  the  Gospel 
he  went  from  appointment  to  appointment.     After 
traveling  circuits  for  about  five  years  he  attended  the 
Conference  held  at  Bristol  on  the  7th  of  August,  1Y71. 
He  was  now  in  the  twenty-sixth  year  of  his  age,  and 
had  been  engaged  in  the  work  of  the  ministry  for 
nine  or  ten  years;  studious,  devoted,  self-sacrificing, 
and  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  all  his  duties,  he  ha&d 
acquired  a  standing  in   the  Conference  which  com 
mended  him  to  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  his 
brethren,  both  senior  and  junior.     He  not  only  had 
made  himself  acquainted  with  the  doctrines  and  dis 
cipline  of  Methodism,  but  he  cherished  for  them  the 
warmest  affection,  and  conscientiously  reduced  them 
to  every-day  practice. 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  41 

Asbury  went  to  this  Conference  with  peculiar  feel 
ings.     He  had  for  some  time  been  strongly  impressed 
with  a  desire  to  go  as  a  missionary  to  America.     The 
more  he  thought  and  prayed  about  it,  the  more  deep 
and  powerful  became  the  impression.     The  difficulties 
and  dangers  attending  the  voyage  were  great,  and  the 
increasing  conviction  that  it  was  his  duty  to  volunteer 
his  services  for  that  then  distant  land  preyed  heavily 
upon  his  mind.     He  was  subjected  to  sore  trials,  and 
called  to  pass  through  a  severer  discipline  of  affliction 
than  he  had  experienced  before   in   his  ministerial 
life.     The  Lord  was  evidently  preparing  him  by  this 
discipline  for  the  great  undertaking  he  had  in  con 
templation.   The  Wesleys  and  "Whitefield  had  been  in 
America  years  before.     A  few  Methodist  emigrants 
had  settled  in  New  York,  Philadelphia,  and  parts  of 
Maryland,  and  Wesley  had  sent  over  missionaries  in 
the  persons  of  Messrs.  Boardman,  Pilmoor,  and  Wil 
liams  but  two  years  before.     These  missionaries  had 
entered  upon  their  work  of  feeding  the  flock  of  Christ 
in  the  New  World.     When  at  this  Conference  Mr. 
Wesley    called    for    volunteers    for     the    work    in 
America,  among  the  first  that  responded  was  As 
bury.     He   had  prayerfully  considered   the  matter, 
and  being  satisfied  that  it  was  the  will  of  God  he 
should  enter  upon  the  work,  he  "  conferred  not  with 
flesh  and  blood,"  but  accepted  the  call,  and  from  that 
moment  his  heart  was  in  America. 


LIFE    AND   TIMES    OF 


CHAPTEE  II. 

Asbury  returns  Home  —  Encounters  Trials  — His  Mother— Visits  the 
Scenes  of  his  early  Labors  —  Parting  with  Parents  —  Bristol  Outfit  — 
Eichard  Wright  —  Embarkation  —  Sickness  —  Preaching  on  board  by 
Wright  —  Self-examination  —  Motives  —  Eeflections  —  His  first  Sermon 
at  Sea  —  Advantage  of  Trials  —  Books  read  on  the  Voyage  —  Study  of 
the  Bible  —  His  Heart  bound  to  America  —  Personal  Keligion  —  Full 
Consecration  to  his  Mission  — Last  Sermon  on  Shipboard— Gale  — 
Sight  of  Land  —  Voyage  ended  —  Recaption  in  Philadelphia  —  Preach 
ing  by  Pilrnoor  —  Progress  of  Methodism  — Encouragement  — The 
Soldier  Preacher. 

HAVING  consecrated  all  upon  the  altar  of  American 
missions,  Asbury  left  the  seat  of  the  Conference  and 
turned  his  face  homeward.  Already  he  had  passed 
through  severe  conflicts,  which  served  as  a  discipline 
to  prepare  him  for  the  great  work  to  which  he  had 
devoted  himself;  but  other  and  yet  severer  trials 
awaited  him.  How  he  should  communicate  the  intel 
ligence  to  his  kind  and  gentle-hearted  mother,  that 
he  had  entered  into  an  engagement  to  leave  the  home 
of  his  youth,  perhaps  never  to  return,  was  a  question 
that  greatly  perplexed  him.  Difficult  and  trying  as 
was  the  task,  he  was  enabled,  however,  to  accomplish 
it,  and  she  who  had  trained  him  for  God  and  his 
cause  in  a  spirit  of  genuine  self-sacrifice,  not  only 
calmly,  but  heroically  gave  him  up.  Like  the 
mother  of  the  Wesleys,  who,  when  asked  if  she  was 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  43 

willing  to  give  up  her  son  John  to  go  to  the  wilds  of 
America  as  a  missionary  among  the  savages  of 
Georgia,  replied,  "If  I  had  twenty  sons  I  would 
cheerfully  give  them  all  to  God  as  missionaries,"  so 
the  mother  of  Asbury  gave  up  her  only  son  with 
Christian  resignation,  and  cheerful  acquiescence  in 
the  leadings  of  Providence. 

Prior  to  taking  farewell  of  his  parents,  and  bidding 
a  final  adieu  to  home  and  friends,  he  started  out  on 
an  itinerant  tour  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  the  scenes 
of  his  early  labors.  He  preached  in  Staffordshire, 
Warwickshire,  and  Gloucestershire,  and  enjoyed  much 
life  and  power  in  his  ministrations.  Wherever  he 
went  he  announced  his  determination  to  go  out  as  a 
missionary,  and  excited  no  little  wonder  among  his 
friends,  though  none  of  them  attempted  to  dissuade 
him  from  so  noble  and  glorious  an  undertaking. 
Some  were  so  impressed  with  its  importance  that 
they  were  constrained  to  speak  in  warm  terms  of  the 
purpose  he  had  formed,  and  regretted  that  they  could 
not  accompany  him. 

At  length  the  hour  arrived  when  he  was  to  take  his 
leave  of  fond  parents  and  make  preparations  for  his 
departure.  Tears  were  shed,  but  they  were  the  tears 
of  sanctified  affection  and  hopeful  trust  in  God,  who 
had  called  the  parents  to  give  up  their  son,  and  the 
son  to  go  to  a  land  of  strangers  to  preach  the  Gospel. 
He  arrived  at  Bristol,  near  which  he  was  to  take 


44  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

shipping  for  America,  in  the  latter  part  of  August. 
His  outfit  was  of  the  slenderest  kind,  consisting  of  a 
few  pounds  and  a  small  amount  of  clothing.  At 
Bristol  he  met  Richard  Wright,  a  young  man  who 
had  been  in  the  itinerant  connection  but  one  year, 
but  who,  impressed  with  the  importance  of  the  mis 
sionary  work,  had  volunteered  to  accompany  him. 

On  the  4th  of  September  they  embarked  and  were 
soon  fairly  out  at  sea.  That  vexatious  accompaniment 
of  a  voyage,  seasickness,  Asbury  did  not  escape,  and 
such  sickness,  to  use  his  own  language,  as  was  un- 

'  O  cT3      ' 

equaled  by  any  he  had  ever  experienced.  When  the 
Sabbath  came  his  colleague  preached  on  deck  to  the 
crew,  who  were  attentive  listeners  to  the  word  of 
life.  After  recovering  from  his  illness,  in  a  calm 
and  thoughtful  mood  he  went  into  a  thorough  self- 
examination  in  regard  to  the  motives  that  prompted 
him  to  engage  in  the  missionary  work.  As  if  mis 
trustful  and  afraid  of  the  deceitfulness  of  the  human 
heart,  he  instituted  a  most  searching  analysis,  and 
was  enabled  to  arrive  at  the  following  result : 
namely,  that  his  visit  to  the  New  World  was  not  to 
gain  honor  or  emolument,  but  clearly  and  simply  to 
devote  himself  to  the  service  of  God,  and  incite  others 
to  the  same  hallowed  consecration. 

He  was  by  no  means  ignorant  of  the  religious  con 
dition  of  the  people  among  whom  he  was  going  to 
labor,  but  had  acquainted  himself  with  the  state  of 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  45 

the  Churches,  and  all  the  religious  movements  of  the 
country.  He  had  studied  the  means  connected  with 
the  revivals  in  America,  and  also  the  causes  of  their 
decline,  as  they  had  been  exhibited  in  the  reports 
which  came  to  England ;  and  from  what  he  knew  of 
the  effects  attending  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  by 
the  Methodists,  and  the  discipline  as  administered  by 
them,  he  felt  impressed  with  the  fact  that,  as  well  in 
America  as  in  England,  these  agencies  were  peculi 
arly  adapted  to  the  awakening  and  conversion  of 
souls,  and  the  training  of  the  Church  to  a  holy  life. 
The  signal  success  which  had  crowned  the  labors  of 
Wesley  and  his  coadjutors  in  England,  he  felt  as 
sured  would  attend  the  labors  of  the  missionaries 
in  America,  if  faithful  to  their  high  and  responsible 
trust.  He  had  determined,  in  this  view  of  the  case, 
if  God  did  not  own  and  bless  his  labors  after  having 
made  a  full  and  fair  trial,  that  he  would  not  remain 
in  America,  but  return  to  England. 

The  second  Sabbath  at  sea  having  arrived,  Asbury 
preached  his  first  sermon  to  the  sailors  from  Acts 
xvii,  30  :  "  But  now  God  commandeth  all  men  every 
where  to  repent."  He  had  a  strong  and  irrepressi 
ble  desire  that  the  hardy  sons  of  the  ocean  might  be 
brought  to  repentance,  and  that  before  he  reached  his 
destination  he  might  behold  some  fruit  of  the  labors 
bestowed.  He  felt  willing  to  do  or  suffer  anything 
if  he  could  only  be  instrumental  in  saving  souls, 


46  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

hence  he  bore  cheerfully  the  privations  and  hard 
ships  of  the  voyage.  Having  no  beds,  and  being 
obliged,  with  his  colleague,  to  sleep  on  hard  boards, 
he  realized  the  importance  of  possessing  much  courage 
and  patience,  and  was  not  a  little  comforted  by  the 
thought  that  if  others  could  undergo  hardships  for 
mere  temporal  interests,  he  surely  should  not  com 
plain  where  eternal  interests  were  involved.  His 
trials  had  a  tendency  to  increase  and  fasten  the  im 
pression  that  he  was,  to  use  his  own  words,  not  run 
ning  before  he  was  sent ;  and  hence,  as  these  trials  in 
creased,  he  became  more  and  more  convinced  that  he 
was  acting  in  accordance  with  the  Divine  will. 

Regularly  as  the  Sabbath  returned  he  preached  to 
the  ship's  company.  His  subjects  were  adapted  to 
his  audience,  and  were  treated  in  the  most  plain  and 
pointed  manner.  The  sailors  all  seemed  to  give  great 
attention  to  the  word,  but  wrhether  any  wrere  con 
verted  during  the  voyage  was  not  known  to  him  who 
labored  with  all  zeal  and  fidelity  to  bring  them  to  a 
saving  knowledge  of  the  truth.  During  the  passage 
he  spent  much  of  his  time  in  reading,  meditation,  and 
prayer.  The  books  which  he  read  were  Sellon's  An 
swer  to  Elisha  Cole,  which  he  thought  no  one  could 
read  and  be  a  Calvinist;  De  Renty's  Life,  Norris's 
Works,  Edwards  on  the  Work  of  God  in  New  En 
gland,  Wesley's  Sermons,  and  the  Pilgrim's  Progress. 
The  Bible,  however,  was  his  constant  companion,  and 


FRANCIS    ASBURY. 

this  he  studied  with  increasing  interest,  pouring  out 
his  soul  in  prayer  to  the  Father  of  lights  that  he 
might  have  a  clear  vision  of  those  wondrous  truths 
which  it  contains,  and  be  able  to  interpret  it  in  such 
a  manner  that  all  who  heard  might  receive  a  portion 
adapted  to  their  condition. 

While  shut  up  in  his  cabin  he  felt  his  heart 
strangely  drawn  out  for  America,  and  he  realized  a 
wonderful  sympathy  and  union  of  spirit  with  those 
who  to  him  as  yet  were  strangers.  The  spirit  of  sym 
pathy  which  exists  in  all  who  realize  a  love  for  souls, 
and  which  constrains  them  to  encounter  toil,  priva 
tion,  and  hardships  for  their  salvation,  was  felt  by 
Asbury  in  an  extraordinary  degree.  As  a  true  evan 
gelical  preacher,  he  was  not  a  stranger  to  that  love 
which  prompted  the  Saviour  to  give  his  life  a  ransom 
for  man ;  and  now  that  it  no  longer  remained  a  ques 
tion  in  regard  to  his  call  to  preach  the  Gospel  in 
America,  the  people  to  whom  he  was  going  to  minis 
ter,  and  for  whose  salvation  he  was  about  to  labor, 
became  endeared  to  him  by  the  strongest  and  tender- 
*est  ties.  Associated  with  this  was  a  deep  and  earnest 
desire,  accompanied  by  incessant  prayer,  that  he 
might  be  "  complete  in  all  the  will  of  God,  and  holy 
in  all  manner  of  conversation,  as  He  that  had  called 
him  was  holy."  Every  day  he  realized  an  increasing 
singleness  of  purpose  in  regard  to  the  object  of  his 
mission ;  and  as  the  vessel  approached  the  American 


48  LIFE    A1ST)    TIMES    OF 

shore,  he  was  conscious  of  a  consecration  to  God  and 
his  cause  more  full  and  satisfactory  than  he  ever  ex 
perienced  before. 

On  the  13th  of  October  he  preached  his  fifth  and 
last  sermon  on  board.  The  wind  was  high,  and  the 
ship  tossed  exceedingly,  rendering  it  difficult  for  one 
to  stand  on  deck.  Determined,  however,  to  lose  no 
opportunity  of  preaching  to  the  sailors,  he  fixed  him 
self  against  the  mast,  and  discoursed  with  warmth  and 
freedom  from  2  Corinthians,  v,  20 :  "  Now  then  we 
are  ambassadors  for  Christ,  as  though  God  did  beseech 
you  by  us  :  we  pray  you  in  Christ's  stead,  be  ye  recon 
ciled  to  God."  In  alluding  to  this,  his  last  sermon  on 
board,  he  says  "  he  felt  the  power  of  truth  in  his  own 
soul,  though  he  saw  no  visible  fruit  of  his  labors." 

After  a  voyage  of  eight  weeks,  during  which  many 
privations  were  encountered  and  hardships  endured, 
the  joyous  intelligence  that  they  were  in  sight  of 
land  was  received  gratefully  by  the  missionaries. 
Though  another  Sabbath  intervened  between  his  last 
sermon  and  their  entry  into  port  at  Philadelphia, 
yet  Asbury  gives  no  account  of  the  manner  in  which" 
it  was  spent.  The  tedious  voyage  at  length  was 
brought  to  a  close,  and  it  was  with  emotions  of  pro 
found  gratitude  to  God  for  that  providence  which 
had  guided  them  safely  through  the  deep,  that  he 
and  his  colleague  placed  their  feet  on  the  American 
shore.  How  was  that  gratitude  increased  when  on 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  49 

landing  they  were  received  with  the  utmost  kindness, 
and  introduced  to  the  largest  hospitality !  In  refer 
ring  to  their  reception,  Asbury  says:  "The  people 
looked  on  us  with  pleasure,  hardly  knowing  how  to 
show  their  love  sufficiently,  bidding  us  welcome  with 
fervent  affection,  and  receiving  us  as  the  angels  of 
God." 

The  first  evening  spent  in  Philadelphia  was  at  the 
old  St.  George's  Church,  where  they  listened  to  a  dis 
course  from  Joseph  Pilmoor,  who  came  to  America 
with  Boardman  in  1769,  the  first  missionaries  sent 
over  by  "Wesley.  The  arrival  of  Asbury  and  Wright 
as  a  re-enforcement  to  the  clerical  ranks  of  the  infant 
Church  in  America  was  hailed  with  joy,  and  the 
large  congregation  assembled  were  greatly  quick 
ened  and  refreshed  in  their  spirits  by  their  presence. 
Though  but  five  years  had  elapsed  since  the  intro 
duction  of  Methodism  into  the  country  through  the 
labors  of  Embury,  "Webb,  and  Strawbridge,  yet  con 
siderable  societies  had  been  formed  in  ISTew  York 
and  Philadelphia,  and  in  different  parts  of  New  Jer 
sey,  Maryland,  and  Virginia.  In  that  short  space 
"  the  little  one  had  become  a  thousand ;"  and  so 
wonderfully  did  the  word  of  God  grow  and  prevail 
through  the  instrumentality  of  these  pioneers  of 
Methodism,  that  the  highest  hopes  were  encouraged 
of  the  most  abundant  success. 

To  Captain  Webb,  the  soldier-preacher,  is  perhaps 
4 


60  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

to  be  ascribed  the  honor  of  introducing  Methodism 
into  Philadelphia.  After  he  had  removed  from 
Albany  to  Long  Island  he  extended  his  labors  to 
Philadelphia,  where  he  preached  with  success,  and 
was  the  first  to  write  to  Mr.  Wesley  urging  him  to 
send  preachers  to  America.  Be  this  as  it  may,  one 
thing  is  certain,  that  in  New  York  and  Philadelphia, 
as  well  as  several  points  on  Long  Island,  the  captain, 
by  his  zeal  and  devotion  to  the  cause  of  God,  and  the 
material  aid  which  he  afforded  to  the  infant  societies, 
was  of  vast  service  to  the  Church,  and  deserves  to  be 
ranked  among  its  pioneer  worthies. 


FKANCIS    ASBURY.  51 


GHAPTEK  III. 

Commercial  Intercourse  between  England  and  the  United  States  —  Mer 
chants  of  New  York  —  Philadelphia  Merchants  —  Students  at  Prince 
ton —  Reception  of  New  York  Merchants'  Letter  in  Boston  —  Patriots 
of  the  South  —  Colony  of  Massachusetts  put  under  Martial  Law  —  Har 
bor  of  Boston  and  Castle  William  —  Mediation  of  Franklin  —  Valley  of 
the  Mississippi  —  Six  Nations — Western  Explorations  —  Washington 
selects  Lands  for  Soldiers  —  Boone  the  Pioneer  Hunter — Regulators 

—  Their    Representative    imprisoned  —  Battle  —  Proclamation  —  Cen 
tralization  of  Power — Unjust  Taxation  —  Protest  of  Samuel  Adams — • 
Franklin's  Prediction —  Vessels  of  War  in  Boston  Harbor  —  Ministers 
of  Boston  refuse  to  read  the  Governor's  Thanksgiving  Proclamation  — 
Evils  of  Slavery  in  Virginia  —  Proclamation  of  the  King  —  Jefferson  — 
Lee  —  Henry  —  Appeal  to  the  King  —  Franklin  —  First  Religious  Sects 
in  the  Country  —  Queen  Elizabeth's  Grant— Grant  of  Charles  II. — 
Puritans  —  Lutherans  —  Baptists  —  Reformed    Dutch  —  Presbyterians 

—  Roman  Catholics. 

BEFORE  resuming  the  thread  of  personal  narrative  in 
the  biography  of  Asbury,  it  may  not  be  amiss,  as  we 
contemplate  a  sketch  of  the  times  as  well  as  the  life 
of  that  remarkable  man,  to  call  the  attention  of  the 
reader  to  the  condition  and  circumstances  of  the 
American  colonies  at  the  time  of  his  arrival  in  this 
country.  But  one  year  before  the  landing  of  Asbury 
great  joy  prevailed  in  London  on  the  reception  of 
the  intelligence  that  commercial  intercourse  was 
about  to  be  resumed  between  England  and  the 
United  States.  Merchants  of  New  York  consulted 
those  of  Philadelphia  on  agreeing  to  a  general  im 
portation  of  all  articles,  tea  only  excepted.  The 


52  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

proposition  was  favorably  received  by  the  Phila- 
delphians,  and  would  doubtless  have  been  agreed 
to  but  for  the  reception  of  a  letter  from  Franklin, 
urging  them  to  persevere  on  their  original  plan. 
Some  leading  merchants  in  New  York,  however, 
resisted  concession ;  but  others  went  from  ward  to 
ward  to  take  the  opinions  of  the  people,  and  it  was 
ascertained  that  a  large  majority  were  disposed  to 
confine  the  restrictions  to  tea  alone.  The  Phila- 
delphians  were  incensed  at  this  decision,  and  when 
the  packet  sailed  with  orders  for  all  kinds  of  mer 
chandise  except  tea,  they  said  to  the  New  Yorkers : 
"Send  us  your  old  Liberty  Pole,  as  you  can  have 
no  further  use  for  it."  The  students  at  Princeton 
burned  the  letter  of  the  New  York  merchants  by 
the  hands  of  the  common  hangman.  Boston  tore  it 
to  pieces,  and  threw  it  to  the  winds ;  South  Carolina, 
whose  patriots  had  just  raised  the  statue  to  Chatham, 
read  it  with  scorn. 

It  was  not  long,  however,  before  the  colony  of 
Massachusetts  was  proclaimed  by  the  king  to  be 
under  martial  law.  The  harbor  of  Boston  was  made 
a  rendezvous  for  all  ships  stationed  in  North  America, 
and  the  fortress  which  commanded  it  was  given  up 
to  be  garrisoned  by  regular  troops.  Castle  William 
was  taken  from  the  governor,  and  remained  in  pos 
session  of  England  for  upward  of  five  years.  Frank 
lin,  who  then  held  the  office  of  deputy  postmaster 


FRANCIS    ASBUKY.  53 

general  under  the  crown,  was  selected  as  the  agent 
of  the  assembly  to  redress  their  grievances,  and  be 
their  mediator  with  the  mother  country.  He  was 
now  in  the  sixty-fourth  year  of  his  age.  The  author 
ities  of  the  king  took  care  to  negative  all  appropria 
tions  for  his  salary,  and  determined  not  to  recognize 
him  as  an  agent. 

Such  being  the  condition  of  things  in  the  East,  we 
now  turn  to  the  West.  The  inchoate  title  of  all  that 
vast  territory  in  the  Mississippi  valley  had  been  re 
ceived  from  the  Six  Nations.  The  people  of  Vir 
ginia  and  others  were  exploring  and  surveying  the 
richest  lands  on  the  waters  of  the  Redstone,  Monon- 
gahela,  Ohio,  and  Kanawha,  and  each  year  they 
were  penetrating  farther  south  and  west.  Washing 
ton  had  descended  the  Ohio  in  a  canoe,  and  made 
selections  of  the  richest  lands  for  the  soldiers  and 
officers  who  had  served  with  him  in  the  French 
war.  At  the  same  time  Boone,  the  pioneer  hunter, 
was  exploring  Kentucky,  and  the  "  Long  Hunters  " 
had  found  their  way  down  the  Cumberland  to  Lime 
stone  Bluff,  where  Nashville  now  stands.  Trappers 
and  restless  emigrants  had  crossed  the  country  from 
Carolina  to  the  Mississippi,  while  others  descended 
from  Pittsburg  to  Natchez ;  and  James  Robertson, 
from  the  home  of  the  Regulators  in  North  Carolina, 
had  explored  Tennessee.  He  was  followed  by  others 
from  the  same  region,  and  became  their  guide  and 


54  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

protector.  The  Regulators  had  become  a  formidable 
body,  and  when  they  were  not  allowed  peaceably  to 
possess  their  lands,  which  they  explored,  but  were 
oppressed  by  lawyers,  proprietors,  and  landjobbers, 
they  resolved  on  seeking  redress.  They  accordingly 
appeared  at  court,  determined  to  have  justice  done, 
and  that  without  the  interference  of  any  attorney 
save  the  king's.  They  elected  a  representative  to 
the  House,  but  he  was  voted  a  disturber  of  the 
peace,  and  put  in  prison.  A  riot  act  was  gotten  up, 
declaring  it  illegal  for  more  than  ten  men  to  remain 
assembled  together  after  it  was  read,  and  if  any  were 
found  guilty  of  its  violation  they  were  tried  in  the 
Superior  Court,  and  if  condemned  forfeited  their 
lives,  with  all  their  property. 

The  Regulators  gathered  together  in  the  woods  on 
hearing  that  their  representative  was  expelled  and 
imprisoned  and  they  themselves  threatened  with 
death  as  outlaws.  Their  number  had  increased  to 
five  hundred,  and  they  demanded  his  release,  which 
was  reluctantly  granted.  A  battle  afterward  oc 
curred  between  them  and  the  king's  troops  on  the 
Alamance  River,  in  which  twenty  of  them  were 
killed  and  several  wounded.  Of  the  king's  troops, 
nine  were  killed  and  sixty-one  wounded.  One  of 
the  Regulators  who  was  taken  prisoner  was  hanged 
on  a  tree;  then  followed  a  proclamation  excepting 
from  mercy  outlaws  and  prisoners,  and  promising  it 


FRANCIS    ASBUKY.  55 

to  none  but  such  as  would  take  the  oath  of  allegi 
ance,  pay  taxes,  submit  to  the  laws,  and  deliver  up 
their  arms.  Six  more  of  them  were  afterward  taken 
and  hung.  At  length  they  sought  the  far-off  wilder 
ness,  where  no  lawyers  could  follow  them  or  govern 
ors  lord  it  over  them,  and  there  they  took  up  their 
abode  on  the  romantic  banks  of  the  Nolichucky. 
Before  them  spread  away  an  immense  forest  abound 
ing  in  game,  and  possessed  of  a  rich  and  fertile  soil. 
In  1771,  the  year  that  Asbury  landed  in  America, 
Great  Britain  commenced  the  work  of  centering 
in  itself  power  over  the  colonies,  by  the  double 
process  of  making  all  civil  officers  dependent  for  sup 
port  solely  upon  the  king,  and  giving  to  arbritrary  in 
structions  an  authority  paramount  to  the  charter  and 
laws.  Taxation  unjust  and  unequal  was  forced  upon 
the  colonists  until  forbearance  ceased  any  longer  to  be 
a  virtue.  Samuel  Adams  protested  in  the  House 
against  this  unrighteous  usurpation  in  the  following 
words  :  "  We  know  of  no  commissioners  of  his  majes 
ty's  customs,  nor  of  any  revenue  his  majesty  has  a 
right  to  establish  in  North  America ;  we  know  and 
feel  a  tribute  levied  and  extorted  from  those  who  if 
they  have  property  have  a  right  to  the  disposal  of  it." 
Wise  men  saw  the  event  that  was  approaching,  but 
knew  not  that  it  was  so  near.  "  Out  of  the  eater  came 
forth  meat,1'  said  Cooper,  the  clergyman ;  and  Franklin 
foretold  a  bloody  struggle,  in  which  America,  grow- 


56  LIFE   AND    TIMES    OF 

ing  in  strength  and  magnitude,  would  obtain  the  vic 
tory.  Instructions  were  drawn  up  by  Samuel  Adams 
to  the  agent  of  the  House,  avowing  broadly  the  prin 
ciple  that  colonial  legislation  was  free  of  Parliament 
and  of  royal  instructions.  That  sturdy  patriot  had 
declared  long  before  at  a  town  meeting :  "  Independ 
ent  we  are  an/1  independent  we  will  be."  Things 
were  approaching  a  crisis.  In  August  Boston  saw 
drawn  up  in  her  harbor  twelve  vessels  of  war,  carrying 
more  than  two  hundred  and  sixty  guns.  In  the  West 
the  same  resistance  showed  itself  against  the  concen 
tration  of  colonial  power  in  England,  and  the  rights 
of  freemen  were  as  loudly  demanded  on  the  prairies 
of  Illinois  as  on  the  heights  of  Boston. 

The  governor,  in  his  annual  proclamation  for  the 
festival  of  thanksgiving,  which  was  customary  to  be 
read  from  every  pulpit,  sought  to  ensnare  the  clergy 
of  Boston  by  enumerating  as  a  cause  for  thanksgiving 

"  °  o  O 

that  "  civil  and  religious  liberties  were  continued," 
and  "  trade  enlarged."  The  deception  was  too  trans 
parent,  and  the  result  was  that  all  the  ministers  except 
one  refused  to  read  it ;  and  when  he,  of  whose  Church 
the  governor  was  a  member,  began  confusedly  to  do 
so,  the  patriots  of  the  congregation  turned  their  backs 
on  him,  and  marched  out  of  the  church  with  intense 
disgust  and  indignation.  Nearly  all  the  clergy  agreed 
on  thanksgiving  day  to  implore  of  Almighty  God  the 
restoration  of  their  lost  liberty. 


FRANCIS    ASBUEY. 

This  last  event  occurred  just  one  month  after  As- 
bury  put  his  foot  in  the  streets  of  Philadelphia,  and 
the  reader  will  see  what  was  the  precise  condition  of 
the  country  synchronical  with  the  advent  of  him  who 
was  to  take  so  large  a  share  in  its  ecclesiastical  as 
well  as  general  history.  The  rough  and  rapid  outline 
which  we  have  given  of  the  colonial  history  at  that 
time  is  important,  more  from  the  light  which  it  will 
throw  upon  the  subsequent  life,  character,  and  acts 
of  Asbury  than  from  any  design  to  present  it  as  a 
part  of  the  history  of  the  times.  There  are  other 
matters,  however,  deserving  attention,  and  which 
must  not  be  omitted. 

The  inhabitants  of  Virginia  were  oppressed  by  the 
central  authority  on  a  subject  of  still  more  vital  inter 
est  to  them  and  their  posterity.  Their  halls  of  legis 
lation  had  resounded  with  eloquent  denunciations 
against  the  terrible  evil  of  slavery.  Again  and  again 
had  they  passed  laws  restraining  the  importation  of 
negroes  from  Africa,  but  all  their  enactments  on  this 
subject  were  disregarded.  How  to  prevent  the  Vir 
ginians  from  protecting  themselves  against  the  increase 
of  this  evil  was  debated  by  King  George  in  council, 
and  on  the  10th  of  December,  1770,  he  issued  a  proc 
lamation  under  his  own  hand,  commanding  the  gov 
ernor  "  upon  pain  of  the  highest  displeasure  to  assent 
to  no  law  by  which  the  importation  of  slaves  should 
be  in  any  respect  prohibited  or  obstructed."  This 


58 


LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 


rigorous  order  was  solemnly  debated  in  the  Assem 
bly  of  Virginia.     They  felt  the  necessity  of  an  act  to 
restrain  the  introduction   of  a   race,  the   number  of 
which  already  in  the  colony  gave  them  just  cause  to 
apprehend  the  most  alarming  consequences,  and  they 
felt  impelled  by  the  circumstances  of  the  case  to  seek 
some  means  by  which  not  only  their  increase  would 
be  prevented  but  diminished.     The   interest  of  the 
country    they   declared    "manifestly    required    their 
total  expulsion."     Jefferson,  like  Richard  Henry  Lee, 
had  begun  his  legislative  career  by  resisting  the  slave- 
trade.     To  the  mind  of  Patrick  Henry,  the  thought 
of  slavery  darkened  the  picture  of  the  future,  even 
while  he  cherished  faith  in  the  ultimate  abolition  of 
an   evil   which   was  opposed   to  the   welfare   of  the 
country.      Instead  of  laying  their  grievances  before 
Parliament,  they  presented  their  appeal  directly  to 
the  king.     Their  language  was  :  "  The  importation  of 
slaves  into  the  colonies  from  the  coast  of  Africa  hath 
long  been  considered  a  trade  of  great  inhumanity,  and 
under  its  present  encouragement  we  have  too  much 
reason  to  fear  it  will  endanger  the  very  existence 
of  your  majesty's  American  dominions.     We  are  sen 
sible  that  some  of  your  majesty's  subjects  in  Great 
Britain    may   reap    emoluments   from    this   sort   of 
traffic ;  but  when  we  consider  that  it  greatly  retards 
the  settlement  of  the  colonies  with  more  useful  in 
habitants,  and  may  in  time  have  the  most  destructive 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  59 

influence,  we  presume  to  hope  that  the  interest  of  a 
few  will  "be  disregarded  when  placed  in  competition 
with  the  security  and  happiness  of  such  numbers  of 
your  majesty's  dutiful  and  loyal  subjects.  Deeply 
impressed  with  these  sentiments,  we  most  humbly 
beseech  your  majesty  to  remove  all  those  restraints 
on  your  majesty's  governors  of  this  colony  which  in 
hibit  their  assenting  to  such  laws  as  might  check  so 
pernicious  a  commerce." 

In  this  manner  Virginia  led  the  way  in  the  con 
demnation  of  the  slave-trade.  Thousands  in  Mary 
land  and  New  Jersey  were  ready  to  adopt  a  similar 
petition,  and  so  also  were  the  Legislatures  of  North 
Carolina,  Pennsylvania,  New  York,  and  Massachu 
setts.  There  was  no  conflict  of  opinion  on  this  sub 
ject  in  the  colonies.  Virginia  harmonized  all  opin 
ions,  and  represented  the  moral  sentiment  arid  policy 
of  all.  Franklin  roused  the  attention  of  the  people  and 
ministers  to  the  subject  through  the  press.  The  king, 
however,  was  inexorable  ;  and  while  the  courts  of  law 
adopted  the  axiom  that  as  soon  as  a  slave  sets  his  foot 
on  English  ground  he  is  free,  the  monarch  stood  in 
the  path  of  humanity,  and  made  himself  the  pillar  of 
the  colonial  slave-trade. 

Having  glanced  at  the  political  and  civil  condition 
of  the  country,  it  may  be  considered  of  equal,  and  per 
haps  of  greater  importance,  that  allusion  be  made  to 
its  religious  condition.  This  we  have  as  yet  but 


60  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

barely  hinted  at,  and  shall,  as  far  as  the  materials  at 
our  command  will  allow,  present  the  reader  with  an 
outline  sketch  of  the  condition  and  circumstances  of 
the  various  denominations  in  the  land. 

The  first  religious  sects  that  came  to  this  country 
were  the  Episcopalians,  the  Puritans,  and  the  Luther 
ans.  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert  was  the  first  who  direct 
ed  his  attention  to  this  country  from  religious  con 
siderations,  if  we  except  the  Jesuit  missionaries,  who 
had,  with  a  courage  and  constancy  so  characteristic  of 
that  order,  braved  the  dangers  of  the  ocean,  and  pen 
etrating  the  far-off  wildernesses  of  the  north,  and 
west,  and  south,  planted  the  cross  and  established 
missions  among  the  native  inhabitants.  Among  the 
motives  presented  to  Queen  Elizabeth  by  Sir  Hum 
phrey,  for  founding  religious  settlements,  were 
"honor  for  God,  compassion  on  poor  infidels  cap 
tivated  by  the  devil,  and  the  relief  of  sundry 
people  within  that  realm  distressed."  The  letters 
patent  received  from  the  queen  proceed  upon  the 
supposition,  that  "  the  spread  of  the  Christian  faith 
among  the  natives  justified  such  settlements,"  and  he 
was  "  granted  full  power  and  liberty  to  discover  all 
such  heathen  lands  as  were*  not  actually  possessed  by 
any  Christian  prince  or  people."  He  was  authorized 
to  enact  laws  over  two  hundred  leagues  of  settlement, 
provided  they  did  not  conflict  with  the  laws  and 
policy  of  England,  and  were  not  against  the  true 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  61 

Christian  faith  professed  in  the  Church  of  England." 
Associating  with  himself  his  relative,  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh,  an  expedition  was  sent  out  in  1584,  and  the 
glowing  description  of  the  country  made  to  the 
queen  induced  her  to  bestow  upon  the  whole  coun 
try  the  name  of  Virginia.  The  following  year  one 
hundred  more  colonists  were  sent  out.  In  1606  a 
new  company  applied  for  and  obtained  from  James  I. 
a  charter"  for  the  settling  of  Virginia.  The  charter 
expressly  provided  that  the  colonists  should  "  secure 
the  true  service  and  preaching  of  the  word  of  God, 
and  that  it  should  be  planted  and  used  according  to 
the  rites  and  doctrines  of  the  Church  of  England,  not 
only  in  the  said  colonies,  but  among  the  savages 
bordering  upon  them,  and  that  all  persons  should 
kindly  treat  the  savage  and  heathen  people  in  those 
parts,  and  use  all  proper  means  to  draw  them  to  the 
true  service  and  knowledge  of  God."  The  expe 
dition  sailed  in  December,  1606,  and  landed  at  Cape 
Henry,  in  Virginia,  April,  1607.  It  was  accompanied 
by  the  Rev.  Robert  Hunt,  their  minister,  who  admin 
istered  the  holy  sacrament  on  their  arrival  on  the 
shores  of  James  River.  Rev.  Mr.  Whitaker  followed 
soon  after  and  joined  the  Colonial  Church,  and  was 
denominated  the  Apostle  of  Virginia.  This  minister 
was  the  first  Protestant  who  baptized  an  Indian  con 
vert,  and  that  first  convert  was  Pocahontas.  Subse 
quently,  in  1679,  a  grant  was  given  by  Charles  II.  for 


LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

erecting  a  church  in  Boston,  which  was  called  the 
King's  Chapel.  In  1784  the  Episcopal  Church  became 
independent  of  the  English,  and  assumed  the  name  of 
the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United  States, 
and  Eev.  Drs.  White,  of  Philadelphia,  and  Provoost, 
of  New  York,  were  consecrated  by  the  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury  the  bishops  of  that  Church  in  1787. 

The  next  denomination  in  the  order  of  time  that 
was  introduced  into  the  country  was  the 'Puritans, 
or  Congregationalists.  This  people  sought  these 
shores  as  an  asylum  for  conscience.  A  large  num 
ber,  after  braving  the  dangers  and  rigors  of  a  wintry 
ocean,  landed  at  Plymouth,  in  Massachusetts.  On 
the  Sabbath  of  the  31st  of  December,  1620,  they 
went  on  shore,  and  held  Divine  service.  In  1629  a 
Church  was  organized  at  Salem  ;  one  in  Charles- 
town  in  1630  ;  one  in  Duxbury  in  1632  ;  and  others 
soon  after  in  Connecticut.  Emigrants  who  arrived 
from  England  from  time  to  time,  differed  from  them 
in  their  theological  views  and  polity;  but  as  they 
wished  to  have  Church  matters  consolidated,  after 
several  councils  an  arrangement  was  made  to  unite 
them  in  the  general  principles  of  Congregationalism. 
Their  early  efforts  in  the  cause  of  learning  are 
worthy  of  all  praise.  They  founded  Harvard  Col 
lege,  at  Cambridge,  in  1635. 

The  Kev.  John  Eliot,  one  of  their  early  ministers, 
became  the  pastor  of  the  church  in  Eoxbury  in  1640, 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  63 

and  was  the  first  Protestant  missionary  to  the  In 
dians.  His  whole  life  was  spent  in  labors  for 
their  conversion.  He  was  emphatically  the  apostle 
to  the  Indians,  and  many  were  converted  through 
his  instrumentality.  He  translated  the  Bible  into 
native  Indian,  and  it  was  the  first  Bible  printed 
in  this  country — the  New  Testament  in  1661,  and 
the  Old  in  1663.  Churches  were  organized  in 
New  Hampshire,  New  York,  and  other  parts  of 
the  country.  To  Harvard  has  been  added  Yale 
and  other  colleges,  the  pride  of  the  land.  No 
Church  has  ever  been  blessed  with  more  learned  or 
pious  ministers  than  has  the  Congregational.  The 
number  of  churches  gathered  in  Massachusetts  from 
1770  to  1780  was  twenty. 

Next  we  notice  the  Lutherans.  The  earliest  set 
tlement  of  this  denomination  in  this  country  was 
made  by  emigrants  from  Holland  to  New  York,  soon 
after  the  first  establishment  of  the  Dutch  in  that  city 
in  1621.  The  cause  of  this  emigration  was  the  in 
tolerant  decrees  of  the  Synod  of  Dort  in  1648. 
"While  the  territory  yet  belonged  to  Holland,  the 
few  Low  Dutch  Lutherans  were  compelled  to  hold 
their  worship  in  private ;  but  after  it  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  British,  in  1664,  liberty  was  granted  them 
by  all  the  successive  governors  to  conduct  their  pub 
lic  worship  without  tiny  obstruction.  Thus  we  see 
that  the  establishment  of  the  Lutherans  in  New  York 


64  LIFE    AND   TIMES    OF 

was  but  a  short  time  after  that  of  the  Puritans  in 
Massachusetts.  The  Kev.  Jacob  Fabricus  was  their 
first  minister,  and  was  very  successful.  Though  they 
spread  and  increased  in  various  parts  of  the  country, 
yet  it  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  they  never  made 
much  progress  in  New  York,  where  they  com 
menced.  In  1748  there  were  eleven  Lutheran 
ministers  in  the  United  States  ;  the  number  of  con 
gregations  was  about  forty,  and  the  Lutheran  popula 
tion  was  estimated  at  sixty  thousand. 

The  Associated  Baptists  next  claim  our  attention. 
Some  of  the  first  emigrants  who  planted  New  England 
were  Baptists.  Eoger  Williams  arrived  at  Nantucket 
in  1631,  and  from  his  energetic  piety  was  soon 
invited  to  become  assistant  minister  at  Salem.  Not 
long  after  he  was  accused  of  "  embracing  principles 
which  tended  to  Anabaptism,"  and  was  at  length 
driven  from  the  colon}7,  and  sought  refuge  among 
the  Indians  in  Khode  Island.  In  1639  he  was  bap 
tized,  with  ten  others,  and  they  unitedly  formed  the 
first  Baptist  Church  at  Providence.  A  few  years 
previous  to  his  baptism,  though  unknown  to  him,  a 
distinguished  Baptist  minister  from  London  arrived  in 
Boston,  where  he  remained  some  time,  diffusing 
Baptist  principles.  He  subsequently  took  charge  of 
the  church  in  Dover.  The  attempt  to  organize  a 
Baptist  Church  in  Weymouth  was  resisted  by  the 
court  of  Boston.  Several  of  the  members  were 


FKANCIS   ASBURY.  65 

fined,  imprisoned,  and  disfranchised  by  the  Puritans. 
In  1644  a  poor  man  became  a  Baptist,  and  was 
complained  of  to  the  court  for  not  having  his  child 
baptized,  and  because  he  refused  was  tied  up  and 
whipped.  Three  men  of  Lynn  were  complained  of 
for  being  Anabaptists,  and  were  fined.  In  1761  a 
Church  was  organized  in  Ashfield,  Massachusetts, 
and  the  Rev.  Ebenezer  Smith  was  ordained  over 
them.  The  Baptists  were  taxed  for  the  support 
of  the  Puritan  Church,  and  their  lands  were  sold 
to  pay  the  taxes.  A  Church  was  organized  in 
Swansea  in  1663 ;  another  at  Welsh  Tract,  in  Dela 
ware,  in  1701 ;  another  in  Prince  George  County, 
Virginia,  in  1714;  and  still  another  in  New  York 
in  1762.  Subsequently  Churches  were  organized  in 
other  states,  and  the  Baptists  spread  rapidly. 

In  1664  the  Sabbatarian,  or  Seventh-Day  Baptists 
organized  Churches  in  Ehode  Island.  In  1708  the 
Seventh-Day  German  Baptists  organized  a  Church 
in  Germantown,  Pennsylvania,  and  elsewhere. 

The  Reformed  Protestant  Dutch  Church  was 
among  the  earliest  organized  in  the  country.  The 
Dutch  from  Holland  first  discovered  the  rivers  Hud 
son  and  Connecticut  in  1609,  and  shortly  after  they 
erected  cabins  on  Manhattan  Island,  where  New 
York  now  stands.  The  town,  which  was  called  New 
Amsterdam,  increased  in  size  and  importance  from 
year  to  year  as  fresh  emigrants  arrived.  Educated 

5 


66  LIFE   AND   TIMES    OF 

as  the  inhabitants  were  in  the  national  Church,  they 
brought  with  them  strong  religious  prejudices.  A 
Church  was  gathered  in  New  York  in  1619,  and 
there  was  one  at  Albany  at  an  earlier  period.  The 
first  regular  minister  of  the  Gospel  settled  at  New 
York  was  Rev.  Everardus  Bogardus,  and  the  Dutch 
language  was  exclusively  used  in  the  churches  until 
1764,  when  Rev.  Mr.  Laidlie,  a  Scotch  minister  from 
Flushing,  in  Holland,  connected  himself  with  the 
Dutch  Church,  and  was  invited  to  New  York  to 
commence  service  in  the  English  language.  The 
Dutch  Church  extended  to  New  Jersey,  Connecticut, 
and  elsewhere ;  but  though  it  acquired  strength  and 
influence  in  New  York,  it  made  little  progress  in 
other  places. 

We  have  not  space  in  this  chapter  to  enumerate 
all  the  denominations  that  had  an  existence  in  this 
country  prior  to  the  introduction  of  Methodism ;  but 
we  cannot  close  without  noticing  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  which  dates  back  to  an  early  day.  Scotch 
and  Irish  Presbyterians  came  to  this  country  as  early 
as  1640,  and  according  to  Cotton  Mather  four  thou 
sand  Presbyterians  arrived  in  New  England.  At  a 
later  period  Londonderry,  in  New  Hampshire,  was 
founded  by  a  hundred  families  of  Irish  Presbyterians, 
who  brought  their  pastor  with  them  and  organized  a 
Church.  Another  Church  was  formed  in  Boston  in 
1729,  and  it  remained  such  until  1786,  when  it  became 


FKANCIS    ASBURY. 

Congregational.  In  the  year  1737  five  hundred  ar 
rived  from  Scotland  and  settled  in  New  York,  and 
subsequently  Scotch  and  Irish  colonists  settled  in 
Ulster  county,  and  also  at  Orange  and  Albany.  New 
Jersey,  and  particularly  the  eastern  part  of  it,  became 
the  home  and  possession  of  the  Presbyterians,  and 
they  maintain  it  to  a  considerable  extent  to  this  day. 
The  largest  emigration,  however,  was  to  Pennsylvania, 
where,  it  is  said,  in  1729  nearly  six  thousand  arrived, 
and  from  that  time  up  to  the  middle  of  the  century 
as  many  as  twelve  thousand  came  over  every  year. 
From  Pennsylvania  they  emigrated  in  large  numbers 
to  Maryland,  Virginia,  and  North  Carolina,  and  in 
1773  no  fewer  than  sixteen  hundred  from  the  north 
of  Ireland  settled  in  South  Carolina.  Georgia  too 
was  partly  colonized  by  Scotch  and  Irish  Presbyte 
rians. 

Maryland  was  largely  settled  by  English  Roman 
Catholic  families  brought  over  by  Lord  Baltimore, 
and  the  Roman  religion  for  many  years  exerted  a 
predominant  influence  upon  the  population.  This 
state  has  been  regarded  as  the  stronghold  of  Roman 
ism,  and  had  that  Church  possessed  the  vitality  of 
Protestant  Churches,  it  might  have  spread  more  ex 
tensively  than  it  has  in  the  United  States,  Roman 
Catholic  voyagers  and  priests  were  the  first  to  cast 
eyes  upon  this  vast  inheritance,  the  first  to  explore 
its  mighty  rivers  and  broad  prairies,  and  the  first  to 


68  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

plant  the  cross  and  break  the  silence  of  the  wilderness 
with  the  voice  of  prayer  and  praise.  It  was  doubtless 
reserved  under  God  to  be  the  fortress  and  stronghold 
of  a  Protestant  Christianity,  offering  an  asylum  to  the 
oppressed  of  every  clime,  and  holding  up,  by  the  ex 
ample  of  freedom  of  conscience,  a  beacon  of  hope  to 
the  persecuted  of  all  lands. 

A  report  was  sent  to  the  Bishop  of  London  in  the 
year  1761,  which  presents  the  numbers  of  the  different 
religious  denominations,  embracing  the  Jews  and 
Catholics.  The  number  given  amounted  in  all  to  one 
million  eighty-four  thousand,  only  sixty  thousand 
short  of  the  entire  population.  Where  was  ever  such 
an  exhibit  presented  to  the  world  in  modern  times  ? 
This,  however,  was  merely  a  nominal  membership. 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  69 


CHAPTEE  IY. 

Colonial  Period—  Colonists  in  a  State  of  Kebellion  —  Church  and  State  — 
Eeligious  Denominations  —  Persecutions  —  The  "  Great  Awakening  "— 
Decline  in  Keligion — The  Wesleys — Their  Labors  in  America  —  Method 
ist  Emigrants —  Philip  Embury  in  New  York  —  First  Meeting  —  Subse 
quent  Meetings—  Incidental  Remarks  in  relation  to  Local  Preachers  — 
The  Value  of  their  Labors  in  early  Times  —  First  Methodist  Preaching 
in  America  —  The  little  Band  in  Barrack-street  Workshop  —  Secret  of 
the  Success  of  the  early  Preachers — Embury  as  a  Preacher — Conversion 
of  an  English  Officer  —  Becomes  a  Local  Preacher — Ordered  to  America 
and  stationed  at  Albany  —  Visits  New  York  and  preaches  for  the  Meth 
odists — Multitudes  attracted — Place  too  small— Larger  Room  obtained — 
Opposition  —  First  Methodist  Church  built — Reinforcement  of  Preach 
ers  sent  over  by  Wesley  —  Pilmoor's  Letter  to  Wesley — Strawbridge  in 
Maryland  —  Boardman  in  Philadelphia  —  Letter  to  Wesley. 

THE  period  about  which  we  have  been  writing, 
denominated  the  Colonial  Period,  was  peculiarly 
marked.  Many  events  of  a  striking  and  interesting 
character  had  transpired  which  cast  their  significant 
shadows  into  the  future,  indicating  a  crisis  which 
could  not  long  be  delayed.  It  required  not  the  ken 
of  a  prophet  to  see  that  the  great  privations,  toils,  and 
sufferings  of  the  colonists  would  serve  as  a  discipline, 
in  the  exercise  of  which  they  would  be  enabled  to 
work  out  their  salvation.  The  oppression  by  the 
government  of  Great  Britain,  which  sought  by  its 
unrighteous  exactions  to  crush  out  the  spirit  of  liberty 
and  independence,  had  evidently  reached  that  point 
in  human  endurance  when  patience  exhausted  would 


70  LIFE    AND   TIMES    OF 

give  place  to  resistance,  and  when,  instead  of  feeling 
it  to  be  a  duty  to  obey  the  reigning  power,  the  sub 
jects  would  be  as  strongly  impressed  with  a  sentiment 
if  not  quite  as  loyal,  at  least  as  patriotic  and  right, 
that  "  Resistance  to  tyrants  is  obedience  to  God." 

At  the  time  our  sketch  of  Asbury's  arrival  in 
America  commences,  the  colonists  were  in  a  state  of 
rebellion,  and  just  on  the  eve  of  a  revolution.  Up  to 
this  period  there  was  a  union  of  Church  and  state, 
as  well  as  a  union  with  the  British  government. 
They  had  yet  to  learn  the  practicability  of  a  Church 
without  a  politico-ecclesiastical  government,  and  also 
that  of  a  state  without  a  king.  We  have  already 
seen  that  the  denominations  of  the  Old  World  were 
pretty  thoroughly  represented  in  the  provinces  of  the 
New.  It  must,  however,  always  be  an  occasion  of 
regret,  that  while  most  of  them  had  been  driven  to 
this  land,  or  at  least  exiled  themselves  on  account  of 
the  persecutions  which  they  suffered,  they  should  so 
soon  forget  the  rock  from  whence  they  were  hewn, 
and  the  bondage  from  whicji  they  had  been  delivered, 
as  to  bear  away  with  them  to  the  land  of  their  exile 
the  spirit  of  their  oppressors.  It  may  have  been 
that,  in  consequence  of  being  so  long  under  the 
influence  of  oppression  at  home,  they  had  caught 
the  contagion  and  brought  it  to  this  land.  Cer 
tain  it  is,  whatever  may  have  been  the  cause,  the 
oppressed  were  not  long  in  the  enjoyment  of  the 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  71 

rights  of  conscience  before  they  became  oppressors 
themselves.  The  very  Puritans,  of  whom  it  is  said 
by  the  poet, 

"  They  left  unstained  what  here  they  found, 
Freedom  to  worship  God," 

were  not  exactly  what  the  poet  represented.  If  it 
could  be  said  that  they  left  all  men  to  the  enjoyment 
of  freedom  of  opinion  and  the  rights  of  conscience, 
they  were  particularly  careful  to  have  that  freedom 
of  opinion  to  quadrate  with  their  own  notions  in  re 
spect  to  religion.  In  other  words,  every  man  was 
perfectly  free  to  think  as  they  should  dictate.  His 
thoughts  might  flow  freely,  but  it  must  be  in  the 
channel  which  the  Puritans  had  excavated.  Their 
persecutions  of  the  Baptists  and  the  inoffending 
Quakers  must  ever  constitute  a  sad  and  melancholy 
passage  in  their  history.  Nor  were  they  alone  in 
manifesting  a  persecuting  spirit.  The  Episcopalians 
in  the  southern  provinces  persecuted  the  Presby 
terians,  and  a  rivalry  and  hostility  existed  among  the 
sects  in  all  parts  of  the  country  to  a  greater  extent,  if 
not  more  rancorous,  than  has  been  exhibited  since 
that  day. 

The  revival  of  religion  which  spread  over  the 
country,  denominated  "  The  Great  Awakening,"  and 
which  was  brought  about  by  the  faithful  labors  of 
Edwards,  Prince.,  Frelinghuysen,  Dickinson,  Finley, 


I  2  LIFE    AXD    TIMES    OF 

and  the  Tennents  in  the  northern  and  middle  states, 
and  of  Davies  and  others  in  Virginia,  and  the  Wes 
leys  in  Georgia,  together  with  those  of  Whitefield, 
who  traversed  the  continent  with  heart  of  fire  and 
tongue  of  flame  calling  sinners  to  repentance,  had 
from  various  causes,  but  particularly  from  the  unset 
tled  and  distracted  state  of  the  country,  gone  into 
a  sad  decline.  The  Churches  were  in  a  dead  state, 
and  the  Spirit  of  peace,  which  flies  from  scenes 
of  strife  and  confusion,  had  at  least  for  a  season 
departed. 

The  Wesleys  had  returned  to  England,  but  still  the 
heart  of  John  lingered  on  these  shores.  The  love 
which  prompted  him  to  come  to  this  country  more 
than  a  quarter  of  a  century  before,  and  labor  for  the 
perishing  in  the  wilderness,  when  his  mission  was 
looked  upon  by  his  fellow-ministers  of  the  Established 
Church  as  a  wild,  fanatical,  Quixotic  undertaking, 
had  not  died  within  him,  and  when  among  the  emi- 
gfants  were  members  of  his  own  societies,  his  attach 
ments  were  increased  instead  of  lessened.  Of  this 
number,  as  before  remarked,  a  few  had  taken  up 
their  residence  in  New  York.  Becoming  acquainted 
with  each  other,  they  soon  sought  an  opportunity 
of  uniting  together  in  religious  worship.  Their 
first  place  of  meeting  was  in  the  private  house  of 
Philip  Embury,  who  had  been  converted  in  Ire 
land,  and  had  heard  Wesley  preach  in  that  coun- 


FRANCIS    ASBUEY. 

try.  His  place  of  residence  was  in  Barrack-street, 
near  the  site  of  the  present  City  Hall.  Embury 
was  not  only  a  Methodist,  but  he  sustained  the  rela 
tion  of  a  local  preacher  in  the  Wesleyan  Connection 
in  Ireland.  Being  urged  to  give  out  an  appointment 
for  preaching,  he  was  at  length  induced  to  do  so,  and 
accordingly  a  meeting  was  subsequently  appointed  in 
his  workshop. 

We  may  dwell  here  a  moment  to  remark,  that 
local  preachers  have  been  of  eminent  service  to  the 
Methodist  Church,  both  in  Europe  and  America. 
They  proved  valuable  assistants  to  Wesley,  and  went 
everywhere,  sharing  his  labors  and  reproaches  in 
preaching  to  the  destitute  in  town  and  country. 
Itinerant  as  was  the  economy  of  Methodism,  and  ex 
tensively  as  did  the  regular  preachers  travel  from 
place  to  place,  yet  they  could  not  visit  all  places, 
and  many  a  section  of  the  country  was  prepared, 
through  the  labors  of  the  local  preachers,  for  the 
visits  of  Wesley  and  his  itinerant  helpers,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  labors  of  Nelson  at  Birstal  and  other 
places.  But  more  especially  have  their  services 
been  valuable  in  this  widely  extended  country,  par 
ticularly  in  early  times.  When  the  history  of  the 
Church  shall  have  been  written  up,  it  will  be  found 
that  in  many  of  our  large  cities  and  towns,  and  popu 
lous  neighborhoods  where  Methodism  flourishes,  and 
is  first  for  numbers  and  influence  among  the  sister 


74  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

Churches  of  these  places,  the  seed  was  sown  first 
by  the  hand  of  the  local  clergy,  who  labored  in  the 
vineyard  of  their  Master  without  the  hope  of  fee  or 
reward,  except  what  they  looked  for  in  heaven.  Un 
aided  and  alone,  in  the  midst  of  sacrifice,  toil,  hard 
ships,  aye,  and  not  unfrequently  of  bitter  persecu 
tion,  such  as  would  dampen  the  zeal  and  slacken  the 
energies  of  the  most  of  us  who  have  entered  into 
their  labors,  have  they  gone  up  to  the  high  places  of 
sin  with  the  handful  of  corn  whose  spreading  and 
multiplying  products  now  "  shake  like  Lebanon." 
All  honor  to  those  noble  men  who  braved  the  toils 
and  hardships  incident  to  the  planting  of  Methodism 
in  this  country  !  Their  "  testimony  is  in  heaven,  and 
their  record  on  high ;"  and  when  they  who  sowed 
and  they  who  reaped  shall  come  together  at  the 
angel  shout  of  harvest  home,  may  we  all  rejoice 
together.  As  we  write,  a  host  come  thronging  on 
our  memory.  It  may  be  said  of  many  of  them,  as 
was  said  of  an  earthly  warrior : 

"  They  sleep  their  last  sleep, 

They  have  fought  their  last  battle ;" 

and  the  sound  that  shall  wake  them  will  be  the  voice 
of  Him  who  called  them  into  the  field  of  conflict,  and 
whose  Spirit  nerved  them  for  the  fight.  Faithful 
men,  ye  "  have  fought  a  good  fight,  have  finished 
your  course,"  and  have  entered  into  the  rest  and 
blessedness  of  heaven. 


FKAXCIS    ASBURY.  75 

Embury,  as  we  have  already  said,  was  a  local 
preacher,  and  we  left  him  with  our  readers  while  we 
made  a  short  digression  to  allude  to  his  brethren  of 
the  same  class  in  the  ministry.  His  congregation, 
small  in  numbers,  assembled  in  his  shop  and  listened 
to  his  sermons.  These  were  the  first  Methodist  ser 
mons  preached  in  New  York,  and  the  members  con 
stituted  in  1766  the  first  Methodist  society  formed  in 
America.  "What  a  theme  for  reflection  is  suggested 
by  these  last  two  sentences !  The  first  sermons  in 
New  York  to  the  first  Methodist  society  in  America. 
Not  a  century  has  passed  away,  and  what  results 
from  this  beginning!  Now  the  generic  name 
"  Methodist "  covers  a  membership  of  a  million  and 
a  half,  all  springing  from  the  parent  stock.  For  each 
and  every  one  of  that  first  little  band  there  are  now  two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand.  When  from  the  top  of 
the  rocks  we  behold  the  plains  below  whitened  with 
the  tents  of  our  Israel,  well  may  we  exclaim,  "  What 
hath  God  wrought !"  and  how  vain  and  foolish  would 
be  the  attempt  of  any  crazy  prophet  to  curse  whom 
God  has  so  signally  blessed. 

The  little  band  in  Barrack-street  workshop  assem 
bled  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath,  their  numbers 
continually  increasing.  Their  meetings  were  re 
garded  by  the  regular  clergy  of  New  York  as  ir 
regular  and  fanatical  proceedings,  but  they  were  not 
of  sufficient  importance  to  attract  any  particular 


76  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

notice.  Thus  they  continued  their  worship  unmo 
lested,  and  it  was  not  a  great  while  until  the  shop 
became  too  small  to  hold  the  people,  and  they  were 
obliged  to  seek  for  a  larger  place.  Embury  labored 
with  his  hands  during  the  week  for  the  support  of 
his  family,  and  on  the  Sabbath  "labored  in  word 
and  doctrine"  with  the  little  flock  which  had  com 
mitted  itself  to  his  care.  In  this  he  imitated  the 
Apostle  Paul,  who  wrought  at  his  trade  a  year  and 
a  half  at  Corinth.  We  wonder  not  that  some  of  our 
early  local  preachers  did  not  preach  better;  the  won 
der  is  that  they  were  able  to  preach  at  all.  Their 
abilities  were  limited,  and  their  facilities  for  theolog 
ical  attainments  were  less.  The  success  which  at 
tended  their  ministry  was  to  be  attributed  to  their 
deep  experience  in  the  things  of  God.  They  were 
like  Carvosso,  men  of  faith  and  prayer ;  and  though 
they  could  not  deliver  nicely-adjusted,  systematic, 
elaborate,  and  eloquent  discourses,  according  to  the 
horniletic  model,  yet  they  came  before  the  people 
with  hearts  full  of  love  to  God  and  love  for  perishing- 
souls,  and  their  exhortations  went  burning  to  the 
hearts  of  their  hearers,  who  realized  that  the  "  excel 
lency  of  the  power  was  of  God  and  not  of  man."  No 
knowledge  of  the  Bible,  however  critical,  no  acquaint 
ance  with  theology  and  Church  history  and  govern 
ment,  however  extensive,  can  atone  for  the  want  of  a 
personal,  deep,  and  thorough  experience  in  religion. 


FRANCIS    ASBUEY. 

There  are  some  things  in  religion  that  hermeneutics 
cannot-  interpret  nor  exegesis  unfold.  "  The  natural 
man  knoweth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit,  because  they 
are  spiritually  discerned."  "The  Spirit  searcheth  all 
things,  even  the  deep  things  of  God,"  and  it  is  only 
in  this  transparent  medium  that  they  can  be  seen. 
"Without  this  Divine  teacher  and  his  illumination, 
spiritual  things  can  neither  be  apprehended  nor  ap 
preciated.  That  which  in  its  operations  is  sublime 
and  glorious  as  God,  is  often  to  the  unregenerate  eye 
but  confusion  and  folly. 

Embury  preached  "  not  in  words  of  man's  wis 
dom,"  but  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of 
power.  Coming  before  the  people  from  time  to 
time  with  a  heart  full  of  the  love  of  Christ,  and  a 
fresh  experience  in  religious  attainment,  his  word 
was  attended  with  a  divine  unction,  and  commended 
itself  to  the  consciences  of  all  who  heard.  Those 
who  came  within  the  reach  of  the  means  of  grace 
were  graciously  benefited  by  the  labors  of  this  local 
preacher;  but  few,  however,  comparatively  speak 
ing,  were  induced  to  attend  his  ministry.  The 
Wesleyans  had  secured  but  little  respect  as  yet  in 
England,  and  if  they  were  even  known  in  this  coun 
try,  it  was  not  to  be  expected  that  they  would  excite 
enough  attention  to  bring  many  of  those  who  were 
in  the  habit  of  going  to  church  to  visit  so  irregular 
and  unauthorized  a  meeting.  This  state  of  things, 


78  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

in  the  providence  of  God,  was  not  permitted  long 
to  remain. 

A  year  before  the  time  of  which  we  are  writing, 
an  English  officer  was  induced,  in  the  town  of  Bristol, 
England,  to  follow  the  crowd  which  was  wending 
its  way  to  hear  Wesley  preach.  His  fame  as  a 
preacher  had  spread  far  and  wide  among  the  masses, 
and  notwithstanding  the  opposition  excited  against 
him  by  the  regular  clergy,  the  multitude  were  anx 
ious  to  hear  him,  and  gladly  availed  themselves  of 
the  opportunity  to  do  so.  We  would  not  have  the 
reader  entertain  the  idea  for  a  moment  that  "Wesley 
or  Whitefield,  who  called  out  the  masses  in  their 
day,  were  anything  like  some  of  the  popular  preach 
ers  of  the  present  day  in  England  and  America. 
The  novelty  connected  with  their  preaching  did  not 
consist  in  letting  down  the  language  of  the  pulpit  to 
the  slang  of  the  stump,  and  merging  the  preacher 
into  the  politician.  Every  truth  they  uttered  was 
grave  and  solemn,  attended  with  no  lightness  of 
manner,  foppish  swagger,  or  artistic  air,  more  befitting 
the  clown  or  the  stage-player  than  embassadors  of 
Christ.  "  The  love  of  Christ  constrained  them,"  and 
their  earnest  declaration  of  the  truth  "  commended 
them  to  every  man's  conscience."  They  carried  the 
Gospel  to  the  uncared-for  masses,  and  it  was  this  con 
cern  for  neglected  souls  which  characterized  all 
their  labors,  that  won  upon  the  hearts  of  the  masses, 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  79 

and  brought  thousands  of  the  destitute  to  listen  to 
their  ministrations. 

The  English  officer,  more  perhaps  out  of  curiosity 
than  from  any  religious  motive,  found  himself  in  the 
midst  of  a  crowd  of  earnest,  zealous  worshipers.  The 
word  of  truth,  plainly  presented  and  calmly  enunci 
ated,  was  attended  with  a  power  which  reached  his 
heart.  The  result  was  the  conversion  of  Captain 
Webb,  the  officer  alluded  to,  and  his  subsequent 
enlistment  in  the  army  of  Immanuel  as  a  local 
preacher.  He  was  soon  after  ordered  by  his  gov 
ernment  to  America,  and  subsequently  to  the  post 
at  Albany,  New  York,  where  he  took  up  his  quar 
ters  as  barrack-master.  It  was  not  long  before  he 
heard  of  the  small  society  of  his  brethren  in  New 
York,  and  seizing  the  first  opportunity,  he  descended 
the  Hudson  and  appeared  in  their  midst  in  military 
dress.  The  suddenness  of  his  appearance,  and  the 
strangeness  of  his  costume  in  their  meeting,  attracted 
general  attention ;  but  when  they  learned  he  was  a 
Wesleyan  Methodist  preacher  the  interest  was  in 
creased  a  hundred  fold.  When  it  was  rumored 
abroad  that  a  British  officer  would  preach  in  full 
military  dress,  the  new  room  which  the  society  had 
obtained  was  by  no  means  capacious  enough  to  con 
tain  the  crowds  that  nocked  to  hear  him.  Those 
who  were  permitted,  heard  the  Gospel  from  his  lips 
in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  power. 


80  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

It  soon  became  necessary  to  seek  accommodations 
adapted  to  the  increasing  multitudes,  who  came 
out  from  all  parts  of  the  city  to  hear  him.  The 
society  accordingly  hired  a  large  rigging  loft  in 
William-street ;  but  this  did  not  answer  the  pur 
pose  long,  as  it  was  found  the  place  was  not  commo 
dious  enough  to  accommodate  the  people.  Unmis- 
takeable  were  the  effects  of  Gospel  truth  on  the 
hearts  of  the  hearers,  and  a  religious  excitement, 
which  always  adds  interest  to  a  meeting,  and  in 
creases  the  number  of  hearers,  was  manifested. 
Until  now,  as  we  have  already  remarked,  the  Meth 
odists  were  too  few  and  insignificant  to  excite  at 
tention  or  much  opposition,  except  to  elicit  from 
grave  and  orthodox  divines  the  admonition  to  their 
people  to  avoid  their  meetings.  But  now  the  oppo 
sition  became  more  apparent,  and  if  the  regular 
clergy  could  well  have  accomplished  it,  they  would 
have  put  a  stop  to  these  irregular  proceedings.  It 
was  all,  however,  of  no  avail;  the  people  would  come 
to  meeting,  and  many  were  awakened  and  converted. 

To  accommodate  the  society  and  congregation,  as 
well  as  to  obtain  "  a  local  habitation  and  a  name," 
it  was  determined  to  select  a  suitable  site  and  erect 
a  church.  A  lot  was  accordingly  obtained  on  John- 
street,  and  a  plain,  unpretending  house  of  worship 
erected  thereon,  which,  on  the  30th  of  October, 
1768,  was  dedicated  by  Embury  with  appropriate 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  81 

religious  services.  This  was  the  first  Methodist 
church  in  America,  and  a  thousand  hallowed  asso 
ciations  gather  around  the  spot  where  it  stood. 

Wesley  having  heard  of  the  movements  of  this 
infant  society,  addressed  them  a  letter  of  encourage 
ment,  accompanying  it  with  a  subscription  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  and  at  the  same  time  send 
ing  them  two  preachers  in  the  persons  of  Richard 
Boardman  and  Joseph  Pilmoor.  These  missionaries 
landed  in  Philadelphia  in  1769,  and  Boardman  pro 
ceeded  immediately  to  New  York,  where,  in  the 
city  and  surrounding  country,  he  entered  upon  his 
labors.  Captain  Webb,  in  the  mean  time,  like  a 
true  evangelist,  visited  Long  Island,  preaching  the 
Gospel  in  several  places,  and  extended  his  labors  as 
far  as  Philadelphia,  and  for  the  first  time  many  were 
privileged  to  hear  Methodist  preaching.  In  1769 
Pilmoor  addressed  a  letter  to  Wesley  containing  the 
following:  "I  have  preached  several  times,  and  the 
people  flock  to  hear  in  multitudes.  Sunday  evening 
I  went  out  upon  the  Common.  I  had  the  stage  ap 
pointed  for  the  horse-race  for  my  pulpit,  and  I  think 
between  four  and  five  thousand  people,  who  heard 
with  an  attention  still  as  night.  Blessed  be  God  for 
field  preaching !" 

About  this  time  Robert  Strawbridge,  from  Ireland, 
a  local  preacher  of  considerable  eminence,  settled 

in   Frederick    County,    Maryland,   and    commenced 

6 


82  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

preaching  in  his  own  house  with  an  earnestness  and 
power  characteristic  of  the  sons  of  the  Emerald  Isle. 
He  was  enabled  soon  to  erect  a  log  church,  and  or 
ganize  a  small  society.  The  companion  of  Board- 
man,  Mr.  Pilmoor,  having  ministered  the  word  of 
life  to  the  society  at  Philadelphia,  which  numbered 
one  hundred,  directed  his  course  to  Maryland,  and 
entered  into  the  labors  of  Strawbridge,  greatly  to 
the  spiritual  edification  and  comfort  of  the  little 
flock.  He  also  visited  Virginia  and  North  Carolina. 
The  next  year  the  hearts  of  the  brethren  were 
strengthened  by  the  additional  arrival  of  Robert 
"Williams  and  John  King,  local  preachers  from 
England. 

In  April,  1771,  Boardman  addressed  a  letter  from 
New  York  to  Wesley,  giving  an  account  of  a  revival 
in  which  thirty  were  added  to  the  society,  five  of 
whom  were  converted.  He  speaks  highly  of  the 
attainments  of  the  clergy  of  the  English  and  Dutch 
Churches  of  the  city  of  New  York,  and  regarded 
them  as  the  best  in  America.  His  letter  concludes 
by  expressing  an  earnest  desire  that  Mr.  Wesley 
would  visit  America. 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  83 


CHAPTER  Y. 

Reception  in  Philadelphia — Pilmoor  —Asbury's  first  Sermon  in  America  — 
Visit  to  Staten  Island  —  New  York  —  Boardman  — Asbury's  Opinion  of 
the  Americans  —  Visit  to  the  Country  —  Pilmoor  —  Asbttry  in  Philadel 
phia  —  Appointed  Superintendent  —  Criticism  of  a  Book  —  An  officious 
Priest  —  Quarterly  Meetings  —  Baltimore  —  New  York  —  Church  Wor 
shipers —  Philadelphia  —  Rankin —  St.  Paul's  Church  —  Rankin's  Op 
position  to  Revivals — First  Conference  —  Baltimore  —  Quarterly  Con 
ference —  Otterbinc  —  Second  Conference  —  Desire  to  be  sent  to  Balti 
more  — Disappointed  —  Norfolk  —  Revival  in  Virginia  —  Asbury's  Opin 
ion  of  the  English  Preachers  who  left  the  Country  —  Rumors  of  War  — 
Warm  Sulphur  Springs  —  Wesley  and  Politics  —  Conference  at  Deer 
Creek  —  Declaration  of  Independence  —  Difficulties  about  the  Sacra 
ments —  Retires  to  Judge  White's  in  Delaware  —  Trials  —  Action  of 
Southern  Preachers  — Asbury's  Efforts  at  Union  — Plan  proposed  — 
Rejected  —  Delegates  sent  to  Southern  Conference  —  Successful  Result. 

ASBURY  opened  his  mission  in  Philadelphia.  We 
have  already  alluded  to  the  cordial  greeting  given  to 
him  and  his  colleague  by  the  members  of  the  society 
in  that  city.  His  elevation  of  spirits,  resulting  from 
such  an  expression  of  Christian  sympathy  in  his  be 
half,  was  remarkable,  and  he  says  in  referring  to  it, 
"  My  mind  is  drawn  heavenward ;  the  Lord  hath 
helped  me  by  his  power,  and  my  soul  is  in  a  para 
dise."  His  first  meeting  with  the  society,  as  we  have 
already  seen,  was  on  the  first  evening  after  his  arrival, 
when  he  listened,  in  the  old  St.  George's  Church,  to  a 
sermon  from  Joseph  Pilmoor,  who  was  then  stationed 
in  that  city,  and  interchanged  with  Boardman  of 


84  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

New  York.  The  next  meeting  he  attended  was  a 
watch-night  meeting,  which  began  at  eight  o'clock 
and  lasted  till  midnight.  Pilmoor  again  preached, 
and  the  services  were  continued  by  a  religious  con 
ference,  during  which  a  large  number  related  their 
Christian  experience.  Toward  the  close  of  the  meet 
ing,  Asbury  says,  "a  plain  man  from  the  country 
spoke,  and  his  words  went  with  great  power  to  the 
souls  of  the  people,  so  that  we  may  say,  '  Who  hath 
despised  the  day  of  small  things?'  Not  the  Lord  our 
God  ;  then  why  should  self-important  man  ?"  We  find 
him  the  next  day  engaged  in  personal  labors  with  in 
dividuals  who  were  awakened,  and  anxiously  inquir 
ing  what  they  should  do  to  be  saved.  His  conversa 
tion  with  them  and  his  prayers  in  their  behalf  were 
attended  with  a  blessing  not  only  to  them  but  to  him 
self,  and  he  felt  more  than  ever  convinced  that  in  obey 
ing  the  call  which  summoned  him  from  his  home  and 
kindred  to  brave  the  dangers  of  the  ocean,  and  bear 
the  messages  of  the  Gospel  to  the  inhabitants  of 
this  New  World,  he  was  in  the  line  and  order  of 
Providence. 

The  first  sermon  which  he  preached,  though  he 
makes  no  mention  of  it  in  his  Journal,  was  one  in 
which  he  enjoyed  much  freedom.  He  remarked  that 
in  speaking  to  the  people  he  "  felt  his  mind  opened 
and  his  tongue  unloosed."  His  last  sermon  during 
his  stay  in  Philadelphia  was  preached  on  the  6th  of 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  85 

November,  from  the  text,  "  He  that  spared  not  his 
own  Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for  us  all,  how  shall  he 
not  with  him  also  freely  give  us  all  things?"  The  ser 
mon  was  delivered  in  the  evening,  and  in  describing 
the  occasion  he  says,  "  It  was  a  night  of  power  to  my 
own  soul  and  to  many  others."  His  first  ministra 
tions  impressed  the  Church  in  that  city  that  he  was  a 
minister  of  no  ordinary  stamp,  evincing  by  the  man 
ner  in  which  he  treated  his  subjects,  and  the  depth 
and  fervor  of  his  feeling,  that  he  was  a  workman  emi 
nently  qualified  by  training  and  experience  to  divide 
the  word  of  truth,  and  give  to  saint  and  sinner  their 
portion  in  due  season. 

After  remaining  ten  days  in  Philadelphia  he  went 
to  Burlington,  where  he  preached  in  the  court-house 
to  a  large  and  attentive  congregation.  From  thence 
he  directed  his  course  to  New  York.  Having  met  in 
Philadelphia  a  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Yan  Pelt, 
who  resided  on  Staten  Island,  and  being  accom 
panied  by  him  on  his  journey,  he  was  induced 
to  go  to  Staten  Island,  and  spend  a  short  time 
in  that  place  before  going  to  New  York.  After 
three  days'  journey  they  reached  the  hospitable 
mansion  of  Mr.  Yan  Pelt,  where  Asbury  ever  after 
found  a  home.  As  he  had  made  no  engagement  to 
be  in  New  York  at  any  particular  time  he  remained 
a  few  days  on  the  Island,  and  preached  in  the  even 
ing  at  the  house  of  his  friend.  The  kind  recep- 


86  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

tion  which  he  met  from  the  people,  and  the  religious 
enjoyment,  which  he  experienced,  still  further  en 
couraged  him  in  the  belief  that  his  mission  was  in  ac 
cordance  with  the  ordination  of  God.  On  the  Sab 
bath  he  discoursed  in  the  morning  to  a  large  congre 
gation  in  the  house  of  his  friend,  and  in  the  afternoon 
to  a  much  larger  one.  He  preached  also  in  the 
evening  to  a  large  congregation  assembled  at  the 
house  of  Justice  Wright.  On  Monday  he  left  for 
New  York,  where  he  met  Richard  Boardman,  who 
was  stationed  in  the  city.  In  him  he  found  a  genial 
spirit,  and  was  so  favorably  impressed  with  the  man 
that  he  makes  the  following  record  in  his  Journal : 
"My  friend  Boardman  is  a  kind,  loving,  worthy 
man,  truly  amiable  and  entertaining,  and  of  a  child 
like  temper."  Boardman,  as  we  have  already  seen, 
was  Pilmoor's  colleague,  and  between  them  they  had 
for  their  field  of  labor  New  York  and  Philadelphia, 
as  well  as  other  points  accessible  in  the  country. 

Boardman  came  to  America  in  1769,  and  landing 
at  Philadelphia,  where  he  left  his  colleague  Pilmoor, 
he  proceeded  to  New  York.  On  his  way  he  stopped 
at  a  large  town  where  a  company  of  soldiers  were 
stationed,  and  through  whose  influence  he  procured 
the  use  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  where  he 
preached  to  them  and  a  large  number  of  the  citizens. 
"When  he  arrived  at  New  York  he  was  cordially  re 
ceived.  Referring  to  the  congregations  that  attended 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  8? 

his  ministry,  he  said,  "so  great  was  the  crowd  that 
attended  meeting  only  a  third  part  were  able  to  get 
into  the  house."  He  thought  the  Americans  excelled 
all  the  people  he  ever  saw  in  their  desire  to  hear  the 
word. 

The  year  that  Asbury  arrived  the  society  in  New 
York  was  blessed  with  a  revival,  and  such  was  its  ex 
tent  that  Boardman,  in  his  letter  to  Wesley,  describes 
it  as  a  "  great  awakening."  His  zeal  in  the  cause  of 
religion,  connected  with  great  urbanity  of  manners, 
endeared  him  to  the  people,  and  it  was  not  to  be 
wondered  that  Asbury  found  in  him  a  loving  com 
panion.  He  only  remained  in  this  country  a  few 
years.  After  his  return  he  labored  as  an  itinerant  in 
England  and  Ireland  during  a  period  of  eight  years. 
He  died  in  great  peace  at  Cork,  having  preached  the 
night  before  his  death.  Mr.  Wesley  says  of  him: 
"He  was  a  pious,  good-natured,  sensible  man,  greatly 
beloved  by  all  who  knew  him."  As  though  the  old 
adage  proved  true,  "  like  priest  like  people,"  so  As 
bury  found  among  the  New  York  Methodists  a 
kindred  spirit  to  that  of  their  beloved  pastor.  He 
describes  them  as  "loving  and  serious,"  and  re 
marked  that  "there  appeared  also  among  them  a 
love  of  discipline." 

His  introduction  into  New  York  being  thus  auspi 
cious,  he  opened  his  mission  with  encouraging  pros 
pects.  His  first  sermon  was  preached  in  the  old 


88  LIFE    AND   TIMES    OF 

John-street  Church,  on  Tuesday,  the  13th  of  Novem 
ber,  to  a  large  and  attentive  congregation.  His  text 
was  well  selected,  being  1  Corinthians  ii,  2 :  "  I  de 
termined  not  to  know  anything  among  you  save 
Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified."  The  text  is  illus 
trative  of  his  settled  purpose  of  mind  in  entering 
upon  his  work  in  America,  and  his  whole  subsequent 
life  gave  evidence  of  the  manner  in  which  he  ad 
hered  to  that  purpose.  If  ever,  since  the  days  of  the 
apostles,  there  were  any  ministers  who  gave  themselves 
up  with  exclusive  devotion  to  their  work,  Asbury 
was  most  certainly  of  that  number.  His  next  sermon 
was  on  the  following  day ;  during  its  delivery  he 
felt  his  heart  greatly  enlarged,  and  he  was  convinced 
that  the  membership  enjoyed  the  "life  and  power 
of  religion." 

When  the  Sabbath  came  he  preached  again  to  a 
large  concourse  of  people,  and  was  much  refreshed  in 
spirit  at  witnessing  their  zeal  and  devotion,  and  felt 
more  strongly  attached  to  them  than  ever,  expressing 
his  belief  that  the  Americans  were  more  ready  to  re 
ceive  the  word  than  the  English.  He  was  particu 
larly  impressed  with  the  sight  of  so  many  sable  sons 
and  daughters  of  Africa,  who  were  in  the  congrega 
tion,  and  who  united  with  the  people  in  cheerful 
melody  to  sing  the  Redeemer's  praise. 

Unwilling  to  confine  his  labors  to  the  city,  he  re 
solved  on  visiting  what  Boardman  in  his  letter  to 


FRANCIS   ASBURY.  89 

"Wesley  called  the  "  back  settlements,"  and  accord 
ingly  he  went  to  Westchester.  At  this  place  his 
friends  waited  on  the  mayor  for  the  use  of  the  court 
house  to  preach  in,  there  being  no  church,  and  it  was 
readily  granted.  On  Sabbath  morning  a  congrega 
tion  assembled,  and  he  discoursed  from  the  text, 
"  Now  he  commandeth  all  men  everywhere  to  re 
pent."  In  the  afternoon  his  congregation  increased ; 
many  of  the  chief  men  of  the  town  were  present, 
among  whom  was  the  mayor.  At  both  these  meet 
ings  he  realized  the  Divine  presence  and  power.  In 
the  evening  he  preached  at  West  Farms,  and  the 
next  day  again  at  Westchester,  where  he  was  a  guest 
of  the  mayor.  The  next  Sabbath  he  preached  in 
New  York,  and  returned  to  the  country,  preaching  at 
]STew  Rochelle,  Rye,  East  Chester,  and  Mamaroneck. 
Returning  to  New  York  he  visited  Staten  Island,  and 
then  again  we  find  him  on  his  former  round,  preach 
ing  through  the  week,  and  on  Sabbaths,  as  he  had 
opportunity  and  could  obtain  places  and  congrega 
tions. 

We  have  been  thus  particular  in  our  description, 
because  these  were  the  first  regular  labors  of  this 
true-hearted  missionary  in  this  country. 

To  him  must  be  awarded  the  honor  of  initiating 
the  first  regular  circuit  work  in  America.  He  evi 
dently  saw  a  disposition  on  the  part  of  the  preachers 
to  confine  their  labors  to  the  cities,  and  had  resolved 


90  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

that  he  would  be  an  itinerant  in  every  sense  of  the 
term.  He  had  thoroughly  imbibed  the  doctrine  of 
Wesley,  to  "go  where  the  people  wanted  him  the 
most,"  and  this  demand  for  his  services  was  not  to 
be  determined  by  any  particular  desire  on  his  part 
to  preach  to  such  as  prized  his  ministrations,  nor  yet 
by  the  desire  of  the  people  to  hear  him,  but  where 
there  was  the  greatest  need  of  Gospel  preaching,  and 
where  the  people  were  in  greatest  danger  of  perish 
ing  without  it.  Such  are  truly  evangelical  calls;  and 
wherever  the  minister  heeds  them,  if  he  have  to  pass 
through  persecution  like  Peter,  or  even  through 
death  like  Stephen,  he  will  prove  himself  a  true  suc 
cessor  of  the  apostles  of  our  Lord. 

He  seemed  to  consider  it  improper  for  him  to  re 
main  in  New  York  while  Boardman  was  there,  and 
hence  he  says  in  his  Journal :  "  I  remain  in  York, 
though  unsatisfied  with  our  being  both  in  town  to 
gether.  I  have  not  yet  the  thing  which  I  seek,  a 
circulation  of  the  preachers  to  avoid  partiality  and 
popularity.  However,  I  am  fixed  to  the  Methodist 
plan,  and  do  what  I  do  faithfully  as  unto  God.  I 
expect  trouble  is  at  hand.  This  I  expected  when  I 
left  England,  and  I  am  willing  to  suffer,  yea,  to  die, 
rather  than  betray  so  good  a  cause  by  any  means.  It 
will  be  a  hard  matter  to  stand  against  all  opposition 

'As  an  iron  pillar  strong, 

And  steadfast  as  a  wall  of  brass ;' 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  91 

but  through  Christ  strengthening  me  I  can  do  all 
things.  My  brethren  seem  unwilling  to  leave  the 
cities,  but  I  will  show  them  the  way.  I  have  noth 
ing  to  seek  but  the  glory  of  God,  nothing  to  fear  but 
his  displeasure.  I  have  come  to  this  country  with 
an  upright  intention,  and  through  the  grace  of  God 
I  will  make  it  appear.  I  am  determined  that  no 
man  shall  bias  me  with  soft  words  and  fair  speeches ; 
nor  will  I  ever  fear  the  face  of  man,  or  know  any 
man  after  the  flesh,  if  I  beg  my  bread  from  door  to 
door;  but,  whomsoever  I  please  or  displease,  I  will 
be  faithful  to  God,  to  the  people,  and  to  my  own 
soul." 

The  population  of  New  York  was  at  that  time 
about  twenty-five  thousand,  and  was  embraced  with 
in  the  litnits  of  that  part  of  the  present  city  bounded 
by  Beekman-street  on  the  north,  and  the  Battery  on 
the  south.  There  were  then  seventeen  churches  on 
the  island,  of  which  the  Reformed  Dutch  and  the 
Episcopal  had  three  each,  the  Lutherans  two,  the 
German  Reformed  one,  the  Presbyterians  two,  and 
the  Seceders,  Baptists,  Moravians,  Jews,  French 
Protestants,  and  Methodists  one  each.  In  describing 
some  of  the  preachers  in  JSTew  York,  Boardman,  in 
his  letter  to  Wesley,  says:  "We  have  in  this  city 
some  of  the  best  preachers,  both  in  the  English  and 
Dutch  Churches,  that  are  in  America." 

While  on  his  last  round  before  leaving  for  Phila- 


92  LIFE    AND   TIMES    OF 

delphia,  Asbuiy  was  taken  sick  at  City  Island,  and, 
notwithstanding  the  kind  friends  with  whom  he 
stopped  insisted  on  his  remaining  until  his  health 
was  recruited,  he  left  for  his  appointments,  and  so 
determined  was  he  in  filling  them  that,  though  he 
was  quite  ill,  and  part  of  the  time  in  great  pain,  he 
preached  at  all  of  them  before  he  returned  to  New 
York.  When  he  arrived  he  found  Pilmoor,  who 
had  exchanged  with  Boardman ;  but  the  former  being 
ill,  he  occupied  the  pulpit  in  the  morning.  Pilmoor 
was  quite  popular  in  the  city,  and  attracted  large 
crowds  whenever  he  came.  On  one  occasion  he 
went  out,  by  request,  to  the  race-course.  It  was 
Sabbath  evening,  and  the  judge's  stand  was  convert 
ed  into  a  pulpit.  From  this  he  preached  to  between 
four  and  five  thousand  people,  who  listened  with 
great  attention. 

After  visiting  Staten  Island,  and  preaching  at  his 
friend  Yan  Pelt's,  Justice  Wright's,  and  at  the  ferry, 
Asbury  returned  to  New  York,  and  from  thence 
started  for  Philadelphia,  preaching  on  the  way  at 
Amboy,  Burlington,  and  New  Mills. 

The  preachers  having  all  met  in  Philadelphia  for 
the  purpose  of  arranging  the  work  for  the  year  1772, 
it  was  agreed  among  them  that  Boardman  should  go 
to  Boston,  Pilmoor  to  Yirginia,  Wright  to  New  York, 
and  Asbury  to  Philadelphia.  This  was  his  first  ap 
pointment  proper  in  America,  and  he  expressed  him- 


FKANCIS    ASBURY.  93 

self  much  pleased  with  it.  The  impression  which  he 
made  on  his  first  arrival  was  so  favorable  that  the 
people  were  equally  well  pleased  with  the  appoint 
ment,  and  large  congregations  attended  his  ministry. 
Faithful  to  his  purpose  not  to  spend  all  his  time  in 
the  city,  he  went  out  into  the  country  and  preached 
at  Bohemia,  Chester,  and  other  places,  returning  to 
Philadelphia  and  preaching  on  Sabbaths  and  meet 
ing  the  society.  He  also  visited  Burlington,  Wil 
mington,  Greenwich,  Trenton,  Gloucester,  and  other 
points. 

After  remaining  four  months  on  his  Philadelphia 
circuit  he  was  summoned  to  New  York.  On  his  ar 
rival  he  found  that  Wright  had  preached  his  farewell 
sermon,  and  informed  the  people  that  he  did  not  ex 
pect  to  see  them  any  more.  Asbury  thought  they 
had  spoiled  him  by  gifts,  and  he  discovered  that 
those  very  persons  who  had  exerted  such  a  perni 
cious  influence  upon  him,  were  among  the  first  to 
condemn  him.  At  this  his  spirit  was  stirred,  and  he 
felt  grieved  somewhat  both  at  preacher  and  people. 
Being  opposed  by  some  of  the  members  for  meeting 
the  society  at  the  same  time  the  classes  were  held, 
he  complained  of  a  party  spirit  which  he  thought 
prevailed.  At  a  meeting  held  for  the  purpose  of 
arranging  the  temporal  affairs  of  the  society,  and 
also  for  considering  whatever  related  to  its  spiritual 
interests,  sixteen  questions  were  discussed.  There 


94  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

was  not  that  harmony  among  the  membership  that 
Asbury  desired,  and  some  considerable  disaffection 
existed  in  regard  to  what  he  considered  the  re 
quirements  of  the  discipline,  but  he  resolved  that 
with  calm  and  determined  energy  he  would  carry 
out  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Church.  In 
the  mean  time  he  extended  his  labors  to  Staten  Island, 
Kingsbridge,  and  elsewhere.  Alluding  to  the  "  sharp 
debates"  held  in  the  leaders'  meeting  in  New  York, 
he  says  a  member  had  charged  him  with  ill  usage 
in  saying  he  opposed  his  meeting  the  society,  and 
intimated  that  he  had  preached  the  people  away, 
and  that  he  would  destroy  the  work.  In  the  midst 
of  all  these  trials  he,  however,  swerved  not  from 
what  he  conscientiously  believed  to  be  the  path  of 
duty,  and  preserved  a  conscience  void  of  offense 
toward  God  and  man. 

On  the  10th  of  October,  1772,  he  received  a  letter 
from  Wesley,  appointing  him  Superintendent  of  the 
societies  in  America.  Among  other  instructions  con 
tained  in  this  communication  was  one  strictly  enjoin 
ing  that  none  of  his  books  should  be  reprinted  with 
out  his  consent.  It  seems  that  Kobert  Williams  had 
engaged  in  the  republication  of  some  of  Wesley's 
works.  This  he  did  from  the  purest  motives,  but 
from  some  cause  or  other  Wesley  prohibited  him 
from  any  further  publication.  Williams  came  over 
as  a  local  preacher,  and  in  all  probability  commenced 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  95 

preaching  in  New  York  before  the  arrival  of  Board- 
man.  He  was  afterward  admitted  into  the  traveling 
connection,  and  was  the  first  to  visit  some  sections  in 
Maryland  and  Virginia,  extending  his  labors  to  North 
Carolina.  He  was  a  man  of  faith  and  prayer,  and 
his  labors  were  abundantly  blessed. 

Eeceiving  intelligence  that  he  was  expected  to 
spend  the  winter  in  Maryland,  Asbury  proceeded  to 
Philadelphia,  stopping  on  his  way  at  Princeton,  a 
place  he  had  "long  wished  to  see  for  the  sake  of  the 
pious  Mr.  Davies,  late  president  of  the  college  there." 
After  remaining  a  short  time  he  left  for  Maryland, 
stopping  at  a  place  where  a  work  on  the  non-eternity 
of  future  punishment  fell  into  his  hands.  This  he 
read  and  criticised  after  the  following  manner  :  "  By 
his  arguments,"  alluding  to  the  author  of  the  work, 
"  we  may  as  well  prove  the  non-eternity  of  heavenly 
joys,  for  if,  as  he  calls  it,  a  £0)77  al&vios  of  the  right 
eous  arises  from  a  principle  of  spiritual  life  derived 
from  Christ,  then  the  no/niai?  al&vios  of  the  wicked 
arises  from  a  principle  of  spiritual  death  in  them,  and 
the  one  will  come  to  an  end  as  soon  as  the  other." 

While  engaged  in  preaching  in  Kent  county, 
Maryland,  an  officious  preacher  of  the  Episcopal 
Church  came  to  one  of  his  appointments,  demand 
ing  by  what  authority  he  preached.  Asbury  calmly 
met  the  insolent  demand  by  telling  him  who  he  was. 
To  this  the  priest  of  the  Church  pompously  replied  : 


96  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

"I  have  the  sole  authority  over  this  people  and 
the  care  of  their  souls,  and  you  cannot  and  shall 
not  preach ;  and  if  you  do  I  will  proceed  against  you 
according  to  law." 

Asbury  gave  him  to  understand  that  he  had  no 
respect  whatever  for  his  assumed  authority ;  that  he 
came  there  to  preach,  and  preach  he  would. 

"  But,"  said  the  divine,  "you  will  create  a  schism, 
and  draw  the  people  from  their  work." 

"  Do  not  fairs  and  horse-races  hinder  the  people  ?" 
asked  Asbury. 

At  this  the  clergyman  wished  to  know  what  was 
the  object  of  his  coming. 

To  which  he  replied :  "To  turn  sinners  to  God." 

"  Cannot  I  do  this  as  well  as  you  S"  said  the  parson. 

Asbury  then  said  :  "  I  have  authority  from  God." 

At  this  the  parson  laughed  and  said :  "  You  are  a 
line  fellow,  indeed ;"  but  it  was  not  long  before  he 
changed  his  tone  and  became  enraged. 

Not  in  the  least  terrified  at  the  threats  of  the 
Episcopal  parson,  he  preached  and  had  him  for  a 
hearer. 

No  conferences  having  as  yet  been  held,  all  the  busi 
ness  pertaining  to  the  spiritual  and  temporal  econ 
omy  of  the  Church  was  transacted  at  quarterly  meet 
ings.  One  of  these  meetings  was  held  during  his 
visit  to  Maryland.  After  preaching  a  discourse  on 
the  duties  of  the  ministry,  the  Quarterly  Conference 


FRANCIS    ASBUPwY.  97 

proceeded  to  business.  Among  the  matters  discussed 
were  questions  relating  to  week-day  preaching,  the 
.administration  of  the  Sacrament,  and  some  other 
items  of  minor  importance.  The  preachers  were 
stationed,  and  each  one  started  to  his  field  of  labor 
for  the  year.  By  this  arrangement  Asbury  was 
stationed  in  Baltimore;  but  he  did  not  confine  his 
labors  exclusively  to  that  place,  as  we  find  him  trav 
ersing  the  country,  and  preaching  at  all  points  where 
Providence  opened  his  way.  His  course  in  this  re 
spect,  so  persistently  followed,  had  its  effect  upon  his 
brethren  in  the  ministry,  and  the  result  was  that  the 
work  of  the  Lord  spread  and  prevailed  in  all  parts  of 
the  itinerant  field.  On  the  3d  of  January,  17T3,  he 
entered  fully  upon  his  work  in  Baltimore,  preaching 
to  a  large  congregation  at  the  house  of  Captain  Pat 
ten,  at  the  Point,  in  the  morning,  and  in  the  evening 
in  the  city.  His  religious  experience  at  this  time 
may  be  described  in  his  own  words:  "Holiness  is 
the  element  of  my  soul.  My  earnest  prayer  is,  that 
nothing'contrary  to  holiness  may  live  in  me." 

He  had  been  offered  the  use  of  the  court-house  in 
the  town,  but  it  being  judged  unfit  as  a  place  for 
religious  meeting  it  was  declined,  and  he  preached 
in  a  private  house,  in  which  he  formed  a  class  con 
sisting  of  male  members.  The  next  day  he  organized 
a  female  class.  He  continued  preaching  at  the  Point 
an<J  in  town  during  the  Sabbaths,  and  through  the 


98  LIFE    AND   TIMES    OF 

week  extended  his  labors  into  the  various  parts  of  the 
surrounding  country. 

In  March,  1773,  he  attended  a  quarterly  meeting 
conference  on  the  Susquehanna,  which  he  opened  by 
a  discourse.  It  was  a  time  of  peace  and  harmony 
among  the  preachers,  and  at  its  close  they  went  out 
to  their  respective  fields  greatly  encouraged  to  work  for 
God.  Having  received  a  letter  requesting  him  to 
visit  New  York,  as  his  presence  was  required,  he 
repaired  thither  at  the  close  of  the  quarterly  meeting. 
While  in  New  York,  in  accordance  with  instructions 
from  Wesley,  enjoined  on  all  preachers  in  connection, 
with  him,  he  attended  the  Episcopal  Church  for  the 
purpose  of  receiving  the  sacrament.  He  had,  how 
ever,  but  a  poor  opinion  of  the  spirituality  of  the 
Church  worshipers,  describing  them  as  the  most  gay 
and  undevout  he  had  ever  seen. 

On  his  return  to  Philadelphia  Asbury  for  the  first 
time  met  Hankin.  He  came  over  in  company  with 
Messrs.  Shad  ford  and  Yearbry  and  Captain  Webb, 
through  whose  solicitation  mainly  Mr.  Wesley  was 
induced  to  reinforce  the  itinerant  corps  in  America. 
Rankin  was  considered  by  Wesley  as  possessing  pe 
culiar  gifts  for  governing  the  Church,  and  as  he  was 
Asbury 's  senior  by  several  years,  he  constituted  him 
General  Superintendent  of  the  societies  in  America. 
His  arrival  was  a  source  of  considerable  comfort  tc 
Asbury,  and  he  was  very  favorably  impressed  with 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  99 

the  man.  After  hearing  him  preach  a  discourse  from 
the  text,  "I  have  set  before  thee  an  open  door,  and  no 
man  can  shut  it,"  he  thought  perhaps  he  would  not 
be  much  admired  as  a  preacher,  but  as  a  disciplinarian 
he  believed  he  would  be  qualified  for  the  place  as 
signed  him. 

The  next  day  they  started  for  New  York,  where 
they  arrived  on  the  12th,  and  were  received  by  a 
large  company  of  Methodists  at  the  dock  where  they 
landed.  Asbury  preached  on  Sabbath  morning,  and 
in  the  afternoon,  in  company  with  Rankin,  Webb, 
and  Wright,  went  to  St.  Paul's  Church  and  received 
the  sacrament.  In  the  evening  Rankin  preached  his 
first  sermon  in  New  York.  Alluding  to  his  sermon 
Asbury  says :  "  He  dispensed  the  word  of  truth 
with  power ;  it  reached  the  hearts  of  many,  and  they 
appeared  to  be  much  quickened." 

Being  anxious  to  know  how  the  societies  were  pros 
pering  in  the  country,  Asbury  went  to  New  Rochelle 
and  preached.  On  his  return  he  found,  to  his  great 
satisfaction,  that  Rankin  had  been  successful  in  set 
tling  some  of  the  difficulties  which  existed  in  the 
society.  At  this  time  there  was  a  considerable  revi 
val  in  the  society  at  New  York,  and  some  of  the 
exercises  witnessed  by  Rankin  were  not  at  all  pleas 
ing  to  him. 

Rankin  had  not  long  been  in  possession  of  the 
government  of  the  Church  until  it  was  found  that 


100  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

there  was  an  incompatibility  existing  between  his 
views  and  opinions  and  those  of  the  Methodists  of 
this  country.  Unlike  Asbury,  who,  on  identifying 
himself  with  America,  left  all  his  prejudices  and  pre 
possessions  behind,  he  came,  however  sincere  his 
purpose  and  aim  to  promote  the  cause  of  Methodism, 
with  all  his  English  ideas  of  loyalty  and  government. 
He  sought  to  effect  by  authority  what  Asbury  so 
happily  secured  by  conciliation  and  moral  suasion. 
What  was  remarkable  in  a  Methodist  preacher,  it 
appears  that  Rankin  manifested  an  opposition  to  the 
spirit  of  revivals,  asserting  that  they  tended  to  dis 
grace  religion  by  the  destruction  of  order.  In  this 
he  was  promptly  met  by  Asbury,  who,  although  he 
conceded  that  some  enthusiasm  and  extravagance 
might  occasionally  exist  in  time  of  revival,  yet  deemed 
it  injudicious  to  animadvert  with  severity  on  those 
exhibitions  of  passionate  excitement  which  more  or 
less  accompany  deep  and  lasting  revivals  of  religion. 
The  friends  of  order,  he  thought,  might  well  allow  a 
poor  and  guilty  mortal'  to  tremble  before  his  God, 
under  deep  conviction  for  sin,  and  the  people  of  God 
to  sing  and  shout  when  the  Holy  One  of  Israel 
appears  in  power  and  grace  among  them.  To  be 
hasty  in  plucking  the  tares  might  endanger  the  wheat. 
We  should  not  venture  to  reach  forth  our  hand  to 
touch  the  ark  lest  we  be  smitten  for  sacrilege.  In 
consequence  of  this  an  unpleasant  state  of  feeling 


FKANCIS    ASBURY.  101 

sprang  up  between  Asbury  and  Rankin,  and  the  lat 
ter  was  unwise  enough  to  communicate  it  to  Wesley, 
who  became  somewhat  prejudiced  against  Asbury  on 
that  account.  These  differences,  however,  did  not 
separate  these  good  men  in  heart,  and  they  finally 
gave  way  after  more  mature  reflection. 

On  the  14th  of  July,  1773,  the  first  Conference 
proper  met  in  Philadelphia.  At  this  Conference  it 
was  determined  to  enforce  the  rules  and  regulations 
of  the  Wesleyan  Conference  throughout  the  connec 
tion  in  America.  As  we  have  already  seen,  the 
sacraments  were  not  to  be  administered  by  the 
preachers,  and  the  people  were  earnestly  advised  to 
receive  baptism  and  the  Lord's  supper  from  the  hands 
of  the  Episcopal  clergy.  The  number  of  preachers 
stationed  at  this  Conference  was  ten,  and  as  it  was 
the  first  regular  Conference  held,  we  think  it  of  suffi 
cient  interest  to  give  their  names  and  appointments: 
New  York  and  Philadelphia,  Thomas  Kankin  and 
George  Shadford ;  New  Jersey,  John  King  and  Wil 
liam  Watters;  Baltimore,  Francis  Asbury,  Robert 
Strawbridge,  Abraham  Whitworth,  and  Joseph  Year- 
bry ;  Norfolk,  Richard  Wright ;  Petersburg,  Robert 
Williams.  The  numbers  reported  in  society  were 
one  thousand  one  hundred  and  sixteen. 

Asbury's  labors  in  Baltimore  were  much  blessed, 
and  as  he  continued  the  sphere  of  his  operations  he 
began  to  realize  his  heart's  desire  in  seeing  the  people 


102  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

turned  to  the  Lord.  He  was  greatly  cheered  in  re 
ceiving  intelligence  of  a  wonderful  revival  in  Virginia. 
About  this  time  he  drew  up  a  subscription,  and  car 
ried  it  from  place  to  place,  with  a  view  of  raising 
funds  for  building  a  church  in  Baltimore.  He  re 
ceived  considerable  assistance  from  Mr.  Moore,  who 
zealously  co-operated  with  him  in  the  work,  and  was 
enabled  to  report  the  sum  raised  by  subscription  to 
be  more  than  a  hundred  pounds.  Two  lots  had  been 
selected  as  eligible  sites  for  the  building,  and  Asbury 
was  greatly  encouraged.  This  enterprise  proved  in 
the  end  successful,  and  Light-street  Church  was  in 
process  of  time  dedicated  to  the  service  of  God. 

In  July  a  quarterly  conference  was  held  at 
Owings's,  in  Maryland.  In  referring  to  this  meet 
ing  Asbury  says:  "All  the  preachers  appeared 
to  have  their  hearts  fixed  on  promoting  the  work 
of  God  the  ensuing  quarter,  and  we  consulted 
together  with  much  freedom  and  love.  On  the 
first  day  I  inquired  into  the  moral  character  of  the 
local  preachers,  appointed  them  their  work,  and 
gave  them  written  licenses  to  officiate.  The  preach 
ers  who  spoke  at  this  meeting  manifested  great  earn 
estness  and  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  and  many 
of  the  people  were  much  affected  ;  all  was  harmony 
and  love.  For  the  next  quarter  we  had  our  stations 
as  follows:  P.  Eberd,  E.  Drumgoole,  and  Kichard 
Owings  in  Frederic  Circuit;  Brother  Yearbry  and 


FKANCIS    ASBUKY.  108 

Brother  Rawlings  in  Kent  Circuit;  Henry  Walters 
and  Brother  Wright  in  Baltimore  Circuit ;  and  myself 
in  Baltimore  town." 

About  this  time  he  received  intelligence  of  a  power 
ful  revival  in  Virginia,  in  which  between  five  and  six 
hundred  souls  were  converted,  the  result  of  which  was 
the  formation  of  five  or  six  new  circuits.  Having 
written  to  Otterbein,  a  distinguished  German  minister, 
in  relation  to  his  settlement  in  Baltimore,  he  united  in 
a  true  catholic  spirit  with  some  friends  of  the  German 
Reformed  Church  in  drawing  up  a  plan  for  his  settle 
ment.  A  short  time  after  he  met  with  Otterbein  and 
another  minister  of  the  same  Church,  and  was  favor 
ably  impressed  with  their  true  Christian  spirit. 

At  the  second  Conference,  which  was  held  in  Phila 
delphia  on  the  25th  of  May,  1774,  quite  a  number 
were  added  to  the  itinerant  ranks,  and  the  increase 
in  the  membership  was  upward  of  nine  hundred, 
nearly  double  what  it  was  the  previous  year.  In  al 
luding  to  this  Conference,  Asbury  says :  "  It  was  at 
tended  with  great  power,  and  all  things  were  con 
sidered  in  peace  and  harmony.  We  agreed  to  send 
Mr.  W.  to  England,  and  all  acquiesced  in  the  stations 
of  the  preachers.  My  lot  was  to  go  to  York." 
When  he  reached  his  appointment  he  was  again 
greeted  by  his  friends,  but  he  lamented  that  there 
were  some  remaining  roots  of  prejudice  in  the  hearts 
of  a  few.  Subsequently  he  felt  much  aggrieved  at 


104  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

the  acrimony  of  a  certain  individual,  who  did  all  ho 
could  to  injure  him,  but  he  patiently  submitted  his 
cause  to  God.  Notwithstanding  the  efforts  of  what 
he  calls  dissatisfied,  restless  spirits,  he  was  enabled  to 
keep  up  a  close  communion  with  God,  and  realized 
that  the  fire  of  Divine  love  glowed  in  his  heart,  that 
his  soul  was  peace,  and  his  affections  pure  and  with 
drawn  from  earthly  objects. 

During  this  year  he  suffered  much  from  sickness, 
and  for  many  days  was  closely  confined  ;  but  notwith 
standing  his  illness,  he  preached  three  hundred  times, 
and  rode  two  thousand  miles  on  horseback.  At  the 
close  of  his  year  in  New  York,  in  consequence  of  his 
feeble  health,  he  began  to  feel  some  solicitude  about 
his  appointment  the  ensuing  year.  Rankin  had  the 
power  of  appointing  the  preachers,  and  he  expressed 
a  desire  that  he  might  be  saved  from  going  into  what 
he  called  the  "low  country."  When  he  went  to 
Philadelphia,  in  December,  he  fell  in  company  with 
Rankin,  and  opened  his  mind  fully  to  him  on  the 
subject;  but  he  found  that  he  disagreed  with  him  in 
judgment  entirely,  and  he  remarked  that  it  appeared 
to  him  that  to  make  any  attempt  to  be  stationed  in 
Baltimore  would  be  all  in  vain.  "It  is  somewhat 
grievous,"  says  Asbury,  "  that  he  should  prevent  my 
going  to  Baltimore,  after  being  acquainted  with  my 
engagements,  and  the  importunities  of  my  friends 
there."  Several  of  the  preachers,  among  whom  were 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  105 

Webb  and  Drumgoole,  were  of  the  same  opinion 
with  the  people  in  regard  to  this  matter.  While  As- 
bury  was  in  Philadelphia  he  was  taken  quite  ill,  and 
for  some  time  was  confined  to  his  room  under  medi 
cal  treatment.  When  he  recovered  he  went  to  Balti 
more,  and  was  greatly  refreshed  in  spirit  in  meeting 
his  old  friends.  Large  congregations  in  town  and  at 
the  Point,  as  well  as  in  the  country  where  he 
preached,  attended  his  ministry. 

The  next  Conference  was  held  in  Philadelphia  in 
May,  1775.  The  Church  had  increased  in  numbers 
astonishingly  during  the  past  year,  and  the  member 
ship  rose  to  upward  of  three  thousand.  Great  peace 
and  harmony  prevailed.  The  subject  of  war  was  then 
a  prevailing  one,  and  such  was  the  agitated  state  of  the 
public  mind,  Conference  deemed  it  proper  to  appoint 
a  general  fast  for  the  prosperity  of  the  work  and  for  the 
peace  of  America.  Nineteen  preachers  were  stationed. 
Asbury,  as  the  Minutes  show,  was  stationed,  contrary 
to  his  wishes,  at  Norfolk,  but  he  uttered  no  word  of 
complaint,  going  with  all  cheerfulness  to  his  field  of 
labor.  After  a  somewhat  disagreeable  voyage  he 
arrived  at  Norfolk,  where  he  found  no  place  for 
preaching  but  an  old  dilapidated  house,  which  had 
been  formerly  used  as  a  theater.  There  were  but 
thirty  members  in  society,  and  they  were  in  a  some 
what  disorganized  state,  having  no  class-meetings. 
After  laboring  a  few  days  alternately  in  Norfolk  and 


106  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

Portsmouth,  he  persuaded  the  brethren  to  issue  a 
subscription  paper  for  building  a  house  of  worship, 
which,  however,  went  tardily  on  for  the  present.  As 
usual,  Mr.  Asbury  omitted  no  opportunity  of  doing 
good  to  the  souls  of  the  people ;  and  for  this  purpose 
he  made  frequent  excursions  into  the  country,  where 
he  generally  found  a  people  willing  to  hear  the  word 
of  reconciliation.  Having  been  invited  to  visit 
Brunswick  Circuit,  where  the  Lord  was  pouring  out 
his  Spirit  upon  the  labors  of  Mr.  Shadford,  he  arrived 
there,  and  says :  "  God  is  at  work  in  this  part  of  the 
country,  and  my  soul  catches  the  holy  fire."  On 
meeting  with  Mr.  Shadford,  he  says :  "  My  spirit  is 
much  united  to  him,  and  our  meeting  was  like  that 
of  David  and  Jonathan."  A  remarkable  revival  of 
the  work  of  God  was  then  prevailing  in  that  part  of 
the  country,  chiefly  through  the  instrumentality  of  Mr. 
Shadford.  Trembling  and  shaking  would  seize  upon 
sinners  under  the  word,  and  in  some  instances  they  were 
so  aifected  as  to  fall  helpless  upon  the  floor  or  upon 
the  ground.  These  were  strange  appearances  in  this 
country,  and  some,  of  course,  looked  on  with  aston 
ishment  at  the  manifest  displays  of  the  power  and 
grace  of  God.  The  consequence  of  this  great  and 
extensive  revival  was  an  addition  to  the  societies  of 
upward  of  eighteen  hundred  members.  Asbury 
entered  into  this  revival  with  great  spirit,  and  gives 
an  extended  account  of  it  in  his  Journal. 


FRAXCIS    ASBURY.  10  7 

Mr.  Robert  Williams,  who  was  among  the  first 
Methodist  preachers  that  visited  Virginia,  had  mar 
ried,  and  located  at  a  place  between  Norfolk  and 
Suffolk,  where  he  ended  his  days  in  peace  on  the 
26th  of  September,  17Y5.  His  funeral  sermon  was 
preached  by  Mr.  Asbury,  who  says  of  him  that  he 
had  been  "  a  very  useful  man,  and  the  Lord  gave  him 
many  seals  to  his  ministry.  Perhaps  no  man  in 
America  has  been  an  instrument  of  awakening  so 
many  souls  as  God  has  awakened  by  him." 

Rankin  finding  it  impossible  for  him  to  reconcile 
the  war  spirit  which  pervaded  the  country  with  his 
views  of  loyalty,  and  especially  the  instructions  of 
Wesley  on  the  subject,  he  resolved  to  return  to  En 
gland,  and  in  a  letter  to  Asbury  informed  him  of  that 
determination.  In  his  reply,  indicative  of  his  own 
views  and  feelings  on  the  subject,  Asbury  speaks  as 
follows :  u  I  can  by  no  means  leave  such  a  field  for 
gathering  souls  to  Christ  as  we -have  in  America.  It 
would  be  an  everlasting  dishonor  to  the  Methodists 
that  we  should  all  leave  three  thousand  souls  who  de 
sire  to  commit  themselves  to  our  care ;  neither  is  it 
the  part  of  a  good  shepherd  to  leave  his  fiock  in 
time  of  danger ;  therefore  I  am  determined  by  the 
grace  of  God  not  to  leave  them,  let  the  consequence 
be  what  it  may." 

While  absent  on  one  of  his  itinerant  excursions  he 
heard  of  a  dreadful  slaughter  at  Norfolk  and  Great 


108  LIFE  AND   TIMES    OF 

Bridge,  which,  added  to  the  war  demonstrations 
which  had  already  been  made  in  the  country,  gave 
pretty  strong  evidence  that  troublous  times  were 
coming,  such  as  would  try  men's  souls.  When  he 
returned  to  Baltimore,  which  he  did  in  the  spring, 
so  great  was  the  consternation  arising  from  the  exis 
tence  of  the  war  that  the  congregations  were  small. 
The  presence  of  a  man-of-war  in  the  river  excited  the 
greatest  commotion.  Alluding  to  this  state  of  things, 
he  makes  the  following  appropriate  and  beautiful 
reflections :  "  I  know  the  Lord  governeth  the  world, 
therefore  these  things  shall  not  trouble  me.  I  will 
endeavor  to  be  ready  for  life  or  death,  so  that  if  death 
should  come  my  soul  may  joyfully  quit  this  land  of 
sorrow  and  go  to  rest  in  the  embraces  of  the  blessed 
Jesus.  O  delightful  felicity!  There  is  no  din  of 
war ;  no  unfriendly  persecutors  of  piety  ;  no  enchant 
ing  world  with  concealed  destruction  ;  no  malevolent 
spirit  to  disturb  our  peace :  but  all  is  purity,  peace,, 
and  joy.  Adapting  my  discourse  to  the  occasion,  I 
preached  this  evening  from  Isaiah  i,  19,  20 :  '  If  ye 
be  willing  and  obedient,  ye  shall  eat  the  good  of  the 
land  :  but  if  ye  refuse  and  rebel,  ye  shall  be  devoured 
with  the  sword :  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath 
spoken  it.' " 

After  remaining  in  Baltimore  a  short  time  he  went 
to  Philadelphia,  and  visited  Trenton  and  other  places. 
At  Philadelphia  also  the  people  were  alarmed  by  the 


FRANCIS    ASBUKY.  109 

rumors  of  war,  tidings  having  arrived  of  a  battle  off 
Christiana  between  thirteen  row-galleys  and  the  Roe 
buck  man-of-war.  Being  sick  he  was  unable  to  at 
tend  the  Conference,  which  was  held  in  May,  1776, 
in  Baltimore,  but  he  received  notice  from  Rankin  of 
his  appointment  to  that  city.  When  his  health  ad 
mitted  he  went  to  his  charge  and  entered  upon  his 
labors,  but  he  was  so  much  debilitated  that  he  deemed 
it  advisable  to  visit  the  Warm  Sulphur  Springs  in  Vir 
ginia.  That  his  time  might  be  properly  occupied 
while  there,  he  adopted  the  following  plan  :  "  To  read 
one  hundred  pages  a  day,  to  pray  in  public  five  times 
a  day,  to  preach  in  the  open  air  every  other  day,  and 
to  lecture  in  prayer-meeting  every  other  evening." 
Such  recreation  as  this,  at  a  watering-place,  by  a  min 
ister  of  the  present  day,  would  be  considered  among 
the  strangest  of  strange  things.  While  at  the  Springs 
he  met  a  man  who  had  come  eighteen  miles  for  the 
purpose  of  seeing  and  hearing  a  Methodist  preacher. 
His  quarters  were  not  the  most  comfortable,  as  will  be 
seen  by  the  following  description :  "  The  size  of  the 
house  in  which  we  live  is  twenty  feet  by  sixteen,  and 
there  are  seven  beds  and  sixteen  persons,  besides 
some  noisy  children."  After  remaining  there  about 
five  weeks  he  left,  greatly  grieved  and  disgusted 
at  the  practices  of  the  many  thoughtless  visitors. 
On  the  day  of  his  leaving  he  made  the  following 
entry  in  his  Journal :  "  I  this  day  turn  my  back 


110  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

on  the  Springs  as  the  best  and  worst  place  I  ever  was 
in — good  for  health,  but  most  injurious  for  religion." 

At  this  time  he  received  a  letter  from  Wesley,  and 
regretted  much  that  this  great  man  had  interfered 
in  American  politics.  He,  however,  says  that  the 
course  of  that  distinguished  man  manifested  his 
conscientious  attachment  to  the  government  under 
which  he  lived.  He  thought  if  Wesley  had  been 
in  America  he  would  have  been  a  zealous  advocate 
of  the  American  cause. 

Alarms  of  war  reached  him,  and  accounts  of  blood 
shed  and  slaughter  in  different  parts  of  .the  country. 
This  was  a  grief  to  his  soul,  and  he  earnestly  prayed 
that  the  Lord  might  disperse  those  who  delighted  in 
war  and  thirsted  for  human  blood.  "  It  is  well," 
said  he,  "  that  this  is  not  the  home  of  the  righteous. 
They  are  blessed  with  a  pacific  spirit,  and  are  bound 
for  a  kingdom  of  peace,  where 

"  No  horrid  alarum  of  war 

Shall  break  our  eternal  repose ; 
No  sound  of  the  trumpet  is  there 

Where  the  spirit  of  Jesus  o'erflows. 
Appeased  by  the  charms  of  Thy  grace, 

We  all  shall  in  amity  join, 
And  kindly  each  other  embrace, 

And  love  with  a  passion  like  thine." 

The  next  Conference  was  held  at  Deer  Creek,  Har- 
ford  county,  Maryland,  in  May,  1777,  and  the  num- 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  Ill 

her  of  the  preachers  had  increased  to  twenty-seven, 
twenty  of  whom  were  present.  Since  the  last  Con 
ference,  which  was  held  in  Baltimore,  the  patriots 
of  the  Revolution  had  assembled  in  Philadelphia, 
and  declared  the  colonies  free  and  independent 
states,  thereby  throwing  off  all  allegiance  to  the 
British  crown.  The  lines  were  now  distinctly  drawn, 
and  no  loyalist  could  possibly  hope  to  find  any  sym 
pathy  among  the  Americans.  Some  of  the  English 
preachers  were  ill  at  ease,  and  being  unwilling  to 
enter  into  the  revolutionary  spirit,  or  embrace  the 
American  cause,  began  to  make  arrangements  for 
returning  to  England. 

But  there  were  other  difficulties  existing  in  rela 
tion  to  the  Church.  The  people  began  to  ask  for  the 
ordinances,  and  as  they  could  see  no  reason  why 
those  who  ministered  to  them  the  word  of  life 
should  not  also  administer  the  sacraments  of  baptism 
and  the  Lord's  supper,  they  became  more  and  more 
earnest,  in  their  demands.  The  idea  that  their  min 
isters,  as  well  as  themselves,  should  have  to  go  to  the 
Episcopal  clergy  and  receive  the  sacrament  at  their 
hands,  was  something  they  could  not,  with  their 
knowledge  of  the  authority  drawn  from  the  "  reg 
ular  succession,"  understand.  Nor  were  the  people 
alone  in  these  views  and  feelings.  The  preach 
ers  at  the  south  pressed  the  matter  upon  the 
attention  of  the  Conference,  and  there  were  strong 


112  LIFE  A;ND  TIMES  OF 

indications  of  a  separation  unless  the  demand  was 
met. 

This  feeling  was  held  in  abeyance  for  several 
years,  and  did  not  imbody  itself  in  any  action  until 
1779.  Asbuiy,  like  Wesley,  was  a  true  son  of  the 
Church,  and  though  he  had  become  thoroughly 
American  in  his  views  and  feelings,  and,  as  his 
subsequent  history  shows,  a  republican  of  the  Wash 
ington  stamp,  still  his  love  for  Wesley,  and  his  de 
sire  to  remain  in  connection  with  him,  was  such 
that  he  labored  hard  to  allay  the  feelings  of  his 
brethren. 

While  Asbury  was  engaged  in  his  work  in  Balti 
more  and  vicinity,  in  1777,  he  was  required  to  take 
the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  state  of  Maryland.  Its 
form,  however,  was  such  that  he  could  not  conscien 
tiously  take  it,  and  the  result  was  that  he  was  obliged 
to  leave  the  state  and  go  to  Delaware,  where  the 
state  oath  was  not  required  of  clergymen.  He 
sought  an  asylum  at  the  hospitable  mansion  of 
Judge  White,  in  Kent  county,  Delaware.  He 
soon  found,  however,  that  his  retreat  was  no 
place  of  safety.  Scarcely  had  he  been  a  month  at 
the  Judge's  before  he  was  obliged  to  leave,  and  he 
went  out  not  knowing  whither.  He  had  not  trav 
eled  many  miles  until  he  came  to  a  house,  where  he 
stopped  and  found  the  neighbors  assembled  for  a  fu 
neral.  There  being  no  minister,  he  hesitated  not  to 


FKANCIS    ASBUEY.  113 

improve  the  occasion  by  an  address  full  of  Christian 
sympathy.  He  then  pursued  his  weary  way  until 
late  at  night,  when  he  found  shelter.  Here  he  in 
tended  to  rest  till  Providence  should  direct  his  way ; 
but  the  next  evening  he  heard  of  circumstances 
which  induced  him  to  think  it  prudent  to  move  the 
next  day.  Deeply  depressed  was  his  spirit.  He  was 
three  thousand  miles  from  his  native  home  and  kin 
dred.  All  his  countrymen  associated  with  him  had 
left  him  to  his  fate.  He  was  considered  by  most 
persons,  who  knew  not  his  heart  and  his  motives, 
as  an  enemy  to  the  country,  and  he  was,  accord 
ingly,  liable  any  hour  to  be  apprehended  and 
abused. 

Leaving  his  resting-place,  he  went  into  a  wild  and 
dismal  swamp,  where  he  lay  concealed  till  night, 
when  a  friend  kindly  took  him  in  and  protected  him. 
Under  these  circumstances  of  trial  he  was  sustained 
by  the  consciousness  that  he  was  in  the  way  of  duty. 
He  was  seeking  neither  riches  nor  honor.  He  was 
laboring  only  for  the  spiritual  good,  for  the  salvation 
of  his  fellow-men.  He  trusted  in  Providence,  being 
confident  the  God  of  the  prophets  and  of  the  apostles 
would  protect  and  relieve  him. 

In  his  seclusion  he  heard  that  his  friend  and  broth 
er,  Rev.  Joseph  Hartley,  had  been  apprehended  and 
imprisoned  in  the  county  of  Queen  Anne,  and^that 
the  amiable  Freeborn  Garrettson  had  been  assault- 

8 


114  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

ed,  abused,  and  nearly  murdered  by  his  perse 
cutors.  After  about  a  month  spent  in  seclusion, 
he  ventured  to  return  to  his  old  home  at  Judo-e 

O 

White's,  where  he  remained  till  the  troubles  were 
past. 

It  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  he  could  main 
tain  contentment  and  resignation  in  his  restricted  cir 
cumstances.  Pent  up  in  the  little  state  of  Delaware, 
he  felt  straitened  and  repressed  in  his  very  soul.  He 
says  his  mind  was  twisted  and  tortured;  he  knew 
not  whether  to  fight  or  run;  he  was  worried  by  temp 
tations  ;  everything  appeared  under  a  cloud ;  and 
often  he  was  ready  to  choose  death  rather  than  such 
a  life.  Yet  he  had  an  agreeable  home,  he  was  in  no 
immediate  danger,  and  he  had  the  whole  state  of 
Delaware  for  his  prison-bounds.  Yet  he  was  unhap 
py.  Nor  could  it  be  otherwise,  since  God  had  made 
him  for  an  itinerant,  and  called  him  to  travel,  and 
designed  the  whole  country,  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Mississippi,  and  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  St. 
Lawrence,  for  his  circuit.  Had  you  placed  him  in  a 
palace  in  Delaware,  and  given  him  an  Eden  for  his 
rambles,  and  a  magnificent  cathedral  for  his  preach 
ing-place,  and  ten  thousand  souls  for  his  audience, 
lie  still  would  have  been  uneasy.  He  would  have 
pined  for  the  freedom  of  the  whole  continent.  He 
would  have  longed  to  climb  the  mountains,  and  swim 
the  rivers,  and  face  the  bleak  winds  of  the  plains. 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  115 

His  soul  would  have  yearned  to  carry  the  Gospel  to 
the  frontier  settler  in  his  rude  cabin,  and  to  gather 
into  the  fold  of  his  Master  the  lost  and  wandering 
sons  of  neglect  and  the  daughters  of  destitution.  The 
offer  of  eligible  settlements,  of  desirable  alliances,  of 
wealth,  of  ease,  of  ambitious  promotion,  would  have 
been  an  insult  to  such  a  man.  But  give  him  enough 
of  Gospel  work  to  do,  and  room  enough  to  work, 
and  then,  and  then  only,  you  insure  him  content 
and  happiness. 

He  made  his  home  at  Judge  White's  about  two 
years.  The  first  year  he  went  out  but  short  distances 
from  home,  and  preached  but  little.  In  April,  17Y9, 
he  held  a  Conference  in  his  secluded  place  of  exile. 
The  preachers  of  the  northern  stations  were  all  pres 
ent,  and  great  harmony  prevailed.  So  unhappy  had 
Mr.  Asbury  been  under  his  cramped  and  straitened 
circumstances  through  the  year,  that  he  determined, 
at  whatever  risk,  to  venture  out  from  his  seclusion 
and  perform  regular  circuit  work.  Delaware  was 
accordingly  made  a  circuit,  and  Asbury  appointed 
in  charge.  No  sooner  had  he  left  home  for  soma 
distant  part  of  the  state  than  his  spirits  began  to  re 
vive.  He  still,  however,  made  his  head-quarters  at 
Judge  White's,  though  he  was  most  of  the  time  ab 
sent  on  some  part  of  his  circuit.  After  having  spent 
two  years  in  Delaware,  he  went  to  Baltimore  to  at 
tend  the  Conference  of  1780.  He  had  become  a  cit- 


116  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

izen  of  Delaware,  and  returned  to  Maryland  under 
the  recommendation  and  protection  of  the  governor 
of  Delaware.  By  this  means  he  avoided  all  further 
interruption,  and  was  permitted  to  prosecute  his  work 
without  hinderance. 

A  judicious  and  conciliatory  letter  was  adopted 
and  sent  to  the  south,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  prevent 
the  threatened  division.  The  letter,  however,  failed 
to  produce  any  material  effect.  At  the  Conference 
held  in  Virginia,  a  few  weeks  after  the  session  of 
the  Northern  Conference  in  Delaware,  the  southern 
preachers  resolved  to  proceed  in  the  work  they 
deemed  so  necessary.  They  accordingly  appointed 
a  committee  of  the  most  respectable  and  elderly 
men  among  them  to  ordain  the  preachers.  The 
committee  first  ordained  themselves  and  then  the 
other  members  of  the  Conference.  They  then 
went  forth  to  administer  the  ordinances  among 
their  people. 

Mr.  Asbury  could  by  no  means  approve  these 
measures.  The  proceeding  was  altogether  a  viola 
tion  of  Methodist  economy.  His  heart,  and  in 
tellect  at  once  became  devoted  to  unremitting  efforts 
to  reclaim  the  dissenting  brethren.  He  wrote  them 
a  long,  an  able,  and  an  affectionate  letter.  He  en 
deavored  to  persuade  the  dissenters  to  be  content  to 
receive  the  ordinances  from  the  hands  of  the  Episco 
pal  clergy.  They  replied  that  the  Methodist  people 


FKANCIS    ASBURY. 

would  not  receive  the  ordinances  from  the  hands  of 
ministers  who  were  confessedly  unconverted  men, 
and  many  of  them  notoriously  immoral  in  their  con 
duct.  Asbury  could  but  acknowledge  the  force  of 
the  objections ;  yet  still  he  could  not  permit  a  course 
so  irregular  as  the  southern  preachers  had  taken. 
Fearing  a  separation  inevitable,  he  yet  determined 
to  rescue  as  many  as  possible  from  the  disastrous 
effects  of  the  schism. 

A  few  days  before  the  session  of  the  Northern  Con 
ference  for  1780,  he  received  a  letter  from  one  of  the 
Virginia  preachers,  encouraging  him  to  hope  for 
effecting  a  reconciliation  by  conciliatory  and  pru 
dent  measures.  When  the  Conference  assembled,  the 
Virginia  difficulties  became  matter  of  earnest  debate. 
Some  were  for  disowning,  at  once,  all  who  had  pre 
sumed  to  administer  the  ordinances  contrary  to  the 
order  of  the  Church  of  England.  Asbury  proposed  a 
union,  on  condition  that  the  dissentients  should  or 
dain  no  more ;  that  they  should  not  presume  to  ad 
minister  the  ordinances  where  there  was  a  decent 
Episcopal  minister;  and  that  they  should  consent  to 
hold,  with  the  north,  a  union  Conference.  The  con 
sent  of  the  Conference  could  not  be  obtained  to  these 
terms  of  union,  and  there  seemed  no  alternative  but 
a  final  separation.  In  this  extremity  Asbury  made 
one  effort  more.  He  moved  that  a  committee  be 
appointed  to  proceed  to  the  Southern  Conference, 


118  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

and  to  propose  a  suspension  of  all  proceedings  re 
specting  the  ordinances  for  one  year.  He  hoped 
that,  through  communication  with  Mr.  Wesley,  some 
plan  might,  in  the  mean  time,  be  devised  to  prevent 
the  disastrous  results  of  a  separation.  To  this  plan 
the  Conference  assented.  Asbury,  William  Watters, 
the  oldest  native  preacher  in  the  connection,  and  the  ' 
amiable  and  accomplished  Freeborn  Garrettson,  were 
appointed  the  committee.  With  much  anxiety,  and 
many  fears  for  the  result,  the  committee  proceeded 
to  Virginia. 

The  Conference  met.  Asbury,  on  being  desired 
by  the  members  to  open  the  case,  read  Wesley's 
"Thoughts  against  Separation"  from  the  Church,  ex 
hibited  his  own  private  letters  and  instructions  from 
Wesley,  and  explained  to  them  the  sentiments  of  tho 
Conferences  held  at  Delaware  and  at  Baltimore. 
He  then  preached  a  public  discourse,  in  which  he 
prudently  omitted  all  allusion  to  existing  difficul 
ties,  presenting  only  a  plain  exhibition  of  Gospel 
truth,  accompanied  by  a  warm  and  affectionate 
exhortation. 

The  morning  session  of  Conference  thus  closed  with 
the  prospect  of  satisfactory  adjustment  of  all  difficul 
ties.  In  the  afternoon  when  they  met  it  seemed 
there  was  little  disposition  to  compromise.  Asbury, 
with  his  colleagues,  explicitly  stated  the  conditions 
of  union,  mildly  expostulating  with  the  dissenters, 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  119 

and  firmly  insisting  on  the  terms  of  compromise 
as  the  basis  on  which  he  and  the  Northern  Confer 
ence  could  agree.  He  then  left  them  to  deliberate 
on  the  matter.  After  an  hour  the  Conference  in 
formed  him  they  could  not  accept  the  terms  of 
union.  On  receiving  intelligence  of  their  decision 
Asbury  was  overwhelmed  with  such  a  cloud  of  sor 
row  as  never  before  had  settled  on  his  soul.  He 
wept,  his  associates  wept,  and  the  committee  ap 
pointed  by  the  Conference  to  announce  their  decis 
ion  wept.  All  hope  of  preventing  a  final  division 
among  the  Methodists  vanished.  Henceforth  the 
people,  who  ought  to  be  united  in  sentiment  and 
in  practice,  harmoniously  laboring  to  spread  Scrip 
tural  holiness  over  the  land,  would  be  distracted  by 
dissension,  and  driven  by  rivalry  into  measures  of 
hostile  aggression  on  each  other.  With  a  sorrowful 
spirit  and  desponding  heart,  Asbury  kneeled  alone 
in  his  chamber  before  the  Lord,  and  poured  out 
his  full  soul  in  fervent  prayer.  He  then  called  at  the 
Conference  room  to  bid  them  farewell.  Great  was 
the  joy  of  his  heart  on  learning  at  the  door  that  the 
Conference  had  yielded.  The  terms  of  compromise 
were  adopted,  the  conditions  of  union  accepted,  and 
the  Methodists  were  one  again.  After  mutual  con 
gratulations,  the  eloquent  William  Watters  delivered 
a  sermon  on  that  appropriate  text,  "  Come  thou  with 
us,  and  we  will  do  thee  good ;  for  the  Lord  hath 


120  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

spoken  good  concerning  Israel."  After  preaching 
they  held  a  love-feast.  It  was  an  affecting,  a  glori 
ous  time.  Preachers  and  people  talked,  and  wept, 
and  sung,  and  shouted.  The  spirit  of  dissension 
was  effectually  laid.  The  Methodist  community 
throughout  America  was  yet  one  and  inseparable. 


FRANCIS    ASBUBY.  121 


CHAPTEE  YL 

Visit  to  the  Churches  in  Virginia  —  Description  of  his  Journey  —  Con 
ference  of  1781  held  in  Baltimore — Concurrence  of  the  Southern 
Preachers  in  the  Plan  of  Union— Resolve  of  the  Preachers  —  Regula 
tions  in  regard  to  Local  Preachers  —  Letter  to  Wesley —  Close  of  Con 
ference —  Itinerant  Superintendency —  Hard  Fare  —  Congregation  oil 
the  Mountain  — Hanging  Eock  Castle  —  South  Branch  of  the  Potomac 
—  Settlement  of  Germans  —  Inspiring  Scenes  —  Fork  Mountain  —  Large 
Spring  —  Caves  —  Banks  of  Lost  Eiver  —  Drafted  Soldiers  —  Benighted 
on  the  Mountains  —  Leesburg  —  New  York  —  Conference — Numbers 
received  —  Interchange  of  Preachers  —  Conference  confirm  Asbury's 
Appointment  as  Superintendent  —  Coadjutancy  of  Eev.  Mr.  Jarratt  — 
State  of  the  Church  —  Eevivals  in  Virginia  and  Maryland — Adjourned 
to  Baltimore  —  Asbury's  Travels  —  Friendly  Quakers  at  Salem  —  Prep 
arations  for  Conference  —  Statistics  —  A  disaffected  Preacher  —  Wes 
ley's  Letter — Crossing  the  Mountains  —  Capture  of  Mr.  Williams  by 
the  Indians — Quarterly  Meeting  at  Philadelphia  —  New  York  — 
Opinion  of  Methodists  in  these  Places — First  Interview  with  Dr.  Coke 
after  his  Arrival  —  Eichard  Whatcoat  —  Surprise  —  Question  as  to  an 
Independent  Organization  discussed  —  Determination  to  call  a  General 
Conference  —  Freeborn  Garrettson  sent  to  the  South  —  Vasey  —  Poyth- 
ress  —  Interview  with  Mr.  Weems  —  Eeflections. 

THE  gloomy  clouds  which  hung  bodingly  over  the 
horizon  of  the  infant  Church  having  been  dispersed, 
Asbury  started  from  the  Conference  with  a  light  and 
joyous  heart.  His  first  visit  was  to  Petersburg,  and 
from  thence  he  passed  through  the  country,  preach 
ing  from  house  to  house  everywhere,  spreading 
abroad  the  savor  of  peace  and  union.  There  were 
then  but  few  churches  in  the  country,  and  he  held 
forth  the  word  of  life  in  barns  and  cabins,  and  in  the 
woods  wherever  a  congregation  could  be  collected. 


122  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

An  extract  or  two  from  his  Journal  will  show  how 
hard  was  his  service  and  how  poor  his  fare:  "We 
set  out,"  he  says,  "  for  Crump's,  over  rocks,  hills, 
creeks,  and  pathless  woods.  The  young  man  with 
me  was  heartless  before  we  had  traveled  a  mile  ;  but 
when  he  saw  how  I  could  bush  it,  and  sometimes 
force  my  way  through  a  thicket  and  make  the  young 
saplings  bend  before  me,  and  twist  and  turn  out  of 
the  way  or  path,  for  there  was  no  road,  he  took 
courage.  With  great  difficulty  we  came  into  the 
settlement  about  two  o'clock,  after  traveling  eight  or 
nine  hours,  the  people  looking  almost  as  wild  as  the 
deer  in  the  woods.  I  have  only  time  to  pray  and 
write  in  my  Journal ;  always  upon  the  wing ;  as  the 
rides  are  so  long  and  the  roads  so  bad,  it  takes  me 
many  hours,  as  in  general  I  walk  my  horse.  I 
crossed  Rocky  River  about  ten  miles  from  Haw  River. 
It  was  rocky  sure  enough.  I  can  see  little  else  but 
cabins  in  these  parts  built  with  poles.  I  crossed 
Deep  River  in  a  ferry  boat,  and  the  poor  ferryman 
swore  because  I  had  not  a  shilling  to  give  him." 
These  were  every-day  occurrences,  experienced  in 
many  sections  of  the  country  visited  by  this  indefati 
gable  man.  From  Virginia  and  North  Carolina  he 
traveled  to  Pennsylvania,  Delaware,  and  New 
Jersey. 

On  the  24th  of  May,  1781,  Conference  convened  in 
Baltimore,    The    preachers    from    the    South   were 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  123 

present,  and  all  but  one  of  them  concurred  in  the 
action  of  the  preceding  Conference  in  suspending  the 
administration  of  the  ordinances.  Great  unanimity 
prevailed  among  all  the  ministers,  and  they  were  of 
one  heart  and  one  mind,  possessing  the  unity 
of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace.  The  large  ma 
jority  of  the  preachers  set  their  names  to  a  resolu 
tion,  that  they  would  preach  the  doctrines  of  primi 
tive  Methodism  contained  in  the  standards  of  the 
Church,  and  that  they  would  faithfully  enforce  the 
discipline.  At  this  Conference  regulations  were 
adopted  relating  to  local  preachers,  and  certain  mat 
ters  pertaining  to  the  duty  of  traveling  preachers  in 
reference  to  the  exercise  of  discipline.  Among  the 
preachers  who  located  at  this  Conference,  was  John 
Dickins,  who,  just  one  year  before,  according  to  As- 
bury's  Journal,  drew  up  the  subscription  for  a  Kings- 
wood  school  in  America,  which  afterward  assumed 
the  more  imposing  name  of  Cokesbury  College. 
About  this  more  hereafter. 

Soon  after  this  Conference  Asbury  wrote  to  Wes 
ley,  and  laid  before  him  in  detail  the  exact  condition 
of  aifairs  in  the  Methodist  Church.  Having  settled 
all  matters  pertaining  to  his  superintendency,  he  set 
out  to  travel  through  the  bounds  of  his  work.  He 
directed  his  course  for  the  south  branch  of  the  Poto 
mac,  and  traveled  through  a  wild  romantic  region. 
After  swimming  his  horse  over  the  Great  Capon 


124  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

river,  fatigued  and  weary  he  found  rest  in  the  cabin 
of  a  friendly  settler.  His  resting  place,  however, 
was  on  the  top  of  a  chest,  and  his  clothes  his  only 
covering.  This,  however,  was  better  fare  than  he 
often  had.  Frequently,  when  benighted  in  the  wil 
derness,  he  has  slept  on  the  ground,  or  on  rocks,  or  on 
some  boards  in  a  deserted  cabin,  with  nothing  to  eat. 
Being  unable  to  cross  the  South  Branch,  he  was 
obliged,  as  the  explorers  express  it,  to  strike  for  the 
mountains.  On  the  summit  of  one  of  these  ranges  he 
found  a  congregation  as  wild  as  the  wilderness 
around  them.  Here  he  remained  over  Sabbath,  and 
the  mountain  settlers  were  summoned  far  and  near 
to  listen  to  the  word.  When  the  hour  for  preaching 
came  about  two  hundred  persons  were  collected,  and 
the  voice  of  prayer  and  praise  waked  the  echoes  of  the 
mountain.  From  hence  he  went  to  another  appoint 
ment.  On  his  route  he  had  a  view  of  what  is  called 
Hanging  Rock  Castle.  The  walls  of  this  wonderful 
structure  rise  up  three  hundred  feet  high,  and  seem 
as  if  built  with  square  slate  stones.  At  his  last 
preaching  place  he  had  three  hundred  hearers. 
Crossing  the  South  Branch  he  entered  a  settlement  of 
Germans,  and  as  he  could  not  preach  in  that  lan 
guage  he  expressed  a  wish  that  the  Methodist  Church 
had  German  preachers,  as  he  could  see  by  the  spirit 
of  the  people  that  a  great  work  might  be  wrought 
among  them.  What  Asbury  sighed  for  has  since 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  125 

been  fully  realized,  and  the  Methodist  Church  em 
braces  in  its  fold  thousands  of  German  members  and 
whole  districts  of  German  preachers. 

Anon  we  find  Asbury  in  the  valley.  Above  and 
around  him  rose  up  in  their  grandeur  the  Alle- 
ghanies,  furnishing  themes  of  thought  for  the  loftiest 
contemplation,  and  inspiring  a  mind  like  his  with 
profound  emotions  of  reverence  and  love  for  the 
hand  that  had  reared  them,  and  covered  their  sum 
mits  with  living  verdure.  In  crossing  the  Fork 
Mountain  he  found  another  German  settlement,  and 
was  much  comforted  in  spirit  in  striving  to  preach  to 
them.  Near  the  preaching  place  was  a  large  spring 
of  great  depth  and  clearness.  Within  two  hundred 
yards  from  its  source,  the  quantity  of  water  dis 
charged  was  sufficient  in  volume  to  turn  a  mill. 
About  half  a  mile  distant  was  another  natural  curi 
osity.  Two  caves  were  to  be  seen  about  two  hun 
dred  yards  apart.  The  entrances  to  both  are  nar 
row,  but  grow  wider  and  deeper  as  they  are  entered, 
until  the  explorer  finds  himself  in  the  midst  of  wide 
and  lofty  chambers,  supported  by  curiously  formed 
pillars.  In  one  of  these  chambers  Asbury,  inspired 
by  the  scene,  sung, 

"  Still  out  of  the  deepest  abyss 
Of  trouble  I  mournfully  cry." 

The  stalactites,  to  the  mind  of  the  preacher,  resem 
bled  the  pipes  of  an  immense  organ,  and  when  struck 


126  LIFE   AND    TIMES    OF 

emitted  a  melodious  sound,  the  intonations  varying 
according  to  the  size  of  the  stalactites.  The  walls, 
which  rose  up  in  gloomy  grandeur  around  him,  and 
from  which  projected  galleries,  very  much  resembled 
an  old  cathedral.  To  a  mind  more  romantic  in  its 
cast  than  that  of  Asbury  the  scenery  in  this  wonderful 
chamber  might  have  seemed  more  grand  and  magnif 
icent,  but  it  could  not  have  excited  profounder  love 
and  adoration  for  the  wonderful  and  beautiful  in  the 
creations  of  God. 

Interesting  as  were  the  scenes  around  him,  and 
much  as  they  invited  to  study,  the  Master  called  and 
he  must  away  on  his  errand.  Some  nights  after  we 
find  him  on  the  banks  of  Lost  River,  sympathizing 
with  and  praying  for  the  men  who  had  been  drafted 
for  the  army.  Again  we  find  him  benighted  in  the 
mountains,  sleeping  among  the  rocks,  with  nothing 
for  his  covering  but  the  vaulted  sky.  Thus  on  he 
traveled  until  he  reached  Leesburg,  where  he  held  a 
quarterly  meeting,  and  from  thence  he  pursued  his 
way,  preaching  from  place  to  place,  through  Mary 
land  and  Pennsylvania  until  he  reached  New  York. 

The  next  Conference  was  held  at  Ellis's,  in  Virginia, 
on  the  17th  of  April,  1782,  and  adjourned  from  thence 
to  Baltimore,  May  21.  The  number  of  preachers 
received  on  trial  and  into  full  connection  during  the 
sessions  of  this  Conference  was  twenty,  and  the  whole 
number  sixty-six.  The  numbers  in  society  had  in- 


FRAXCIS    ASBURY.  127 

creased  to  eleven  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty- 
five.  The  interchange  of  the  preachers  after  six 
months  on  the  different  stations,  a  regulation  early 
adopted,  was  kept  up  at  this  Conference.  The  appoint 
ment  of  Asbury  by  Wesley  as  General  Superintend 
ent  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  America  was  unan 
imously  confirmed  by  the  Conference.  The  difficulty 
under  which  they  labored  as  unordained  ministers, 
and  hence  unable  according  to  the  canons  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  to  administer  the  sacraments  of 
baptism  and  the  Lord's  supper,  still  continued,  and 
proved  a  serious  embarrassment  to  them  in  their 
labors.  They  found,  however,  in  the  person  of  the 
Tiev.  Mr.  Jarratt,  a  minister  of  the  Established  Church, 
of  unquestioned  piety  and  greatly  esteemed  by  all,  a 
friendly  coadjutor,  and  one  who  was  ever  ready,  as 
far  as  possible,  to  attend  the  quarterly  meetings  and 
administer  the  sacraments.  Impressed  with  the 
value  of  his  services,  the  Conference  passed  a  unani 
mous  resolution  expressive  of  their  gratitude  for  his 
kind  offices,  so  cheerfully  rendered. 

Had  all  the  ministers  of  that  Church  possessed  the 
same  probity  and  virtue,  and  the  same  enlarged 
Christian  benevolence  as  this  man,  much  unhappy 
excitement  would  have  been  prevented,  and  much 
discontent  quieted.  As  it  was,  the  disaffection  which 
existed,  as  we  have  seen,  was  of  such  a  nature  as 
seriously  to  threaten  the  disruption  of  the  Church, 


128  LIFE   AND    TIMES    OF 

but  through  the  influence  of  Asbury's  master  spirit  it 
was  so  far  allayed  as  to  produce  no  manifest  disturb 
ance  or  outbreak  in  the  Conference,  and  the  preachers 
resolved  to  wait  the  openings  of  Providence  in  rela 
tion  to  their  duty  in  this  regard.  The  Churches 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Conference  were  gene 
rally  in  a  prosperous  condition,  and  revivals  of  con 
siderable  interest  prevailed  in  various  portions  of 
Virginia  and  Maryland. 

Asbury  started  out  on  his  eleventh  tour  refreshed 
in  spirit.  He  had  separated  from  his  brother  minis 
ters  in  all  probability  never  again  to  see  them  all  in 
this  world,  but  his  benediction  rested  upon  all  of  them, 
and  his  prayers  followed  them  to  their  different  and 
distant  fields  of  itinerant  toil.  The  first  day  he  rode 
upward  of  thirty  miles  without  taking  a  morsel  of 
food,  but,  like  his  houseless  and  homeless  Master,  he 
murmured  not.  The  following  day,  which  was  the 
Sabbath,  he  preached  at  Boisseau's  Chapel,  and  in  the 
afternoon  in  the  barn  of  the  beloved  Jarratt.  This 
devoted  man,  like  the  sainted  Fletcher,  (whose  timely 
assistance  was  of  great  service  to  "Wesley  in  the 
early  days  of  Methodism,)  had  fully  partaken  of  the 
Methodist  spirit,  and  without  fear  or  reluctance  had 
identified  himself  with  the  American  itinerants.  From 
hence  he  rode  to  Amelia,  again  without  food  during 
the  whole  of  the  journey.  The  next  day  he  rode  forty 
miles,  and  preached  in  the  Broken-backed  church  on 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  129 

the  Fluvanna  circuit.  Thus  he  kept  on  preaching  at 
various  places  in  Virginia  until  he  reached  Baltimore, 
where  the  Conference  was  to  continue  its  session  as 
above  mentioned.  Great  harmony  prevailed  among 
all  the  preachers.  The  character  of  each  was  exam 
ined  and  passed  in  regular  order.  At  this  Conference 
a  plan  for  publishing  books  was  proposed,  but  as  it 
was  thought  the  time  had  not  arrived  for  engaging  in 
this  enterprise  it  was  suspended  until  a  future  period. 
During  the  two  weeks  succeeding  Conference,  Asbury 
traveled  through  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania,  a  dis 
tance  of  between  two  and  three  hundred  miles,  cross 
ing  the  mountains  on  foot  and  preaching  seventeen 
times  in  the  woods  and  cabins  to  the  widely  scattered 
inhabitants.  From  hence  he  went  into  Delaware  and 
Virginia,  and  on  the  25th  of  August,  1783,  we  find 
him  in  New  York.  From  New  York  he  went  to 
New  England,  and  in  his  travels  visited  the  town  of 
Salem,  where  the  Methodists  received  liberal  assist 
ance  from  the  Quakers  in  building  a  house  of  worship. 
Finishing  his  tour  in  this  region,  he  bent  his  course 
southward,  and  went  to  North  Carolina,  and  after 
preaching  at  different  points  returned  to  Virginia. 
As  the  Conference  was  approaching,  he  directed  his 
'course  toward  the  place  of  its  meeting,  which  was 
Ellis's,  in  Sussex  county,  from  which  place,  according 
to  a  resolution  at  the  previous  Conference,  it  was  to  be 
adjourned  to  Baltimore. 

9 


130  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

As  usual  on  the  approach  of  the  Conference,  the 
mind  of  Asburj  was  intensely  exercised  in  relation  to 
the  general  interests  of  the  Church.  What  perhaps 
occasioned  him  greater  anxiety  than  anything  else, 
was  the  arrangement  for  the  work  in  the  appoint 
ments  of  the  preachers.  To  place  himself  in  the 
position  and  stead  of  all  his  brethren,  and  act  toward 
each  as  he  would  have  them  act  toward  him  under 
similar  circumstances,  was  a  work  that  required  a 
vast  amount  of  thoughtful  deliberation,  self-examina 
tion,  and  prayer.  The  still  solemn  hour  of  night 
often  witnessed  his  deep  agonizing  prayer  for  that 
wisdom  which  was  "  pure,  peaceable,  easy  to  be  en 
treated,"  and  which  was  "  without  partiality  and 
without  hypocrisy/'  that  he  might  administer  the 
affairs  of  the  Church  with  "  a  conscience  void  of 
offense  toward  God  and  man."  The  Conference  at 
Ellis's  having  lasted  two  days,  closed  in  peace  and 
harmony,  and  was  afterward  resumed  in  Baltimore. 

At  this  Conference  there  were  reported  eighty-two 
preachers,  and  thirteen  thousand  seven  hundred  and 
forty  members,  a  large  increase  over  the  former  year. 
It  seems  from  Asbury's  Journal  that  a  preacher, 
named  William  Glendenning,  had  been  devising  a 
scheme  to  deprive  him  of  the  general  superintend- 
cncy,  or  at  least  to  curtail  his  powers  and  prerogatives. 
The  letter,  however,  which  had  been  received  from 
Mr.  Wesley  was  so  clear  and  decisive  on  that  point 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  131 

that  an  end  was  put  to  all  controversy.  The  letter 
is  dated  Bristol,  October  3, 1T83,  and  is  as  follows : 

"  1.  Let  all  of  you  be  determined  to  abide  by  the 
Methodist  doctrine  and  discipline  published  in  the 
four  volumes  of  Sermons,  and  the  Notes  upon  the 
New  Testament,  together  with  the  Large  Minutes  of 
Conference. 

"  2.  Beware  of  preachers  coming  from  Great  Brit 
ain  or  Ireland  without  a  full  recommendation  from 
me.  Three  of  our  traveling  preachers  have  eagerly 
desired  to  go  to  America,  but  I  could  not  approve  of 
it  by  any  means,  because  I  am  not  satisfied  that  they 
thoroughly  like  either  our  discipline  or  our  doctrine. 
I  think  they  differ  from  our  judgment  in  one  or  both. 
Therefore,  if  these  or  any  other  come  without  my 
recommendation  take  care  how  you  receive  them. 

"3.  Neither  should  you  receive  any  preachers, 
however  recommended,  who  will  not  be  subject 
to  the  American  Conference,  and  cheerfully  conform 
to  the  Minutes  both  of  the  American  and  English 
Conferences. 

"  4.  I  do  not  wish  our  American  brethren  to  receive 
any  who  make  any  difficulty  on  receiving  Francis 
Asbury  as  the  general  assistant.  Undoubtedly  the 
greatest  danger  to  the  work  of  God  in  America  is 
likely  to  arise  either  from  preachers  coming  from 
Europe,  or  from  such  as  will  arise  from  among  your 
selves  speaking  perverse  things,  or  bringing  in  among 


132  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

you  new  doctrines,  particularly  Calvinism.  You 
should  guard  against  this  with  all  possible  care,  for  it 
is  easier  to  keep  them  out  than  to  thrust  them  out. 
I  commend  you  all  to  the  grace  of  God,  and  am  your 

affectionate  friend  and  brother, 

"J.  WESLEY." 

This  was  a  timely  letter,  full  of  that  kind  of  counsel 
most  needed  at  that  time.  Had  Wesley  been  a 
prophet  he  could  not  have  uttered  sayings  more 
truthful,  and  the  subsequent  history  of  the  Church 
shows  most  conclusively  that  his  predictions  were 
founded  in  a  wise  and  truthful  foresight. 

From  Ellis's,  Asbury  started  out  on  his  tour,  and 
crossed  the  mountains,  directing  his  course  toward 
Redstone.  Passing  Little  Meadows  he  took  the 
Braddock  road,  a  rough  and  dangerous  way.  Find 
ing  no  accommodations,  and  being  much  exhausted 
by  the  journey,  he  was  attacked  by  a  fever  and 
suffered  much,  but  still  rode  on,  preaching  the  next 
day.  Thus  he  continued  his  journey  until  he  reached 
Pennsylvania,  and  thence  proceeded  to  Maryland. 
While  at  Worley's,  where  he  preached  to  a  hundred 
and  fifty  people,  he  heard  of  the  capture  of  Richard 
Williams,  who  was  taken  by  the  Indians  on  the 
north  branch  of  the  Potomac.  A  few  days  before 
Braddock's  defeat,  it  seems  that  nineteen  Indians 
attacked  his  father's  house,  killing  both  his  father 
and  mother  and  one  of  his  nephews.  Williams  and 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  133 

his  child  were  taken  as  prisoners,  and  carried  to  Fort 
Pitt,  now  Pittsburgh.  They  tied  his  hands  to  a  tree 
every  night  to  prevent  his  escape.  At  the  fort  he 
was  deprived  of  his  child.  On  the  day  of  Brad- 
dock's  defeat  he  was  taken  across  the  Ohio  river,  and 
sent  under  guard  to  Detroit.  After  remaining  there 
some  time  he  stole  a  Frenchman's  gun  and  some  am 
munition,  and  made  his  escape,  traveling  most  of  the 
time  through  the  woods.  He  was  pursued  by  the 
Indians,  who  succeeded  in  heading  him,  which 
obliged  him  to  turn  out  of  his  course.  In  crossing  a 
stream  the  water  went  over  his  head  and  wet  his 
powder.  For  three  days  he  traveled  on  without  any 
food,  except  some  roots  which  he  dug  as  he  passed 
along.  Journeying  on  he  came  to  a  river,  in  the 
middle  of  which  he  saw  two  canoe  loads  of  Indians. 
After  they  passed  out  of  sight  he  made  a  raft  of  logs 
and  crossed  over.  During  all  this  time  he  subsisted 
on  what  he  could  pick  up  by  the  way.  At  length  he 
reached  the  Ohio  river,  where  he  was  surprised  by 
an  Indian  who  threw  a  tomahawk  at  him,  but  he  es 
caped,  and  succeeded  in  crossing  the  river.  He  was 
pursued  and  recaptured  by  two  Frenchmen  and  live 
Indians.  By  these  he  was  again  taken  to  Fort  Pitt. 
Being  known  as  a  deserter,  a  council  was  held,  and 
he  was  condemned  to  be  shot.  He,  however,  feigned 
derangement,  and  seemed  not  to  understand  what 
was  said  to  him.  Again  he  made  his  escape,  was 


134  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

pursued,  seven  guns  were  fired  at  him  in  succession 
by  his  pursuers,  but  still  he  eluded  them.  Again  he 
was  overtaken  and  fired  upon,  but  again  he  made  his 
escape.  For  five  days  he  lived  on  acorns.  One  day, 
while  picking  some  wild  cherries,  an  Indian  rushed 
upon  him  with  a  whoop  and  seized  him,  when  pres 
ently  others  joined  him,  and  he  was  again  a  prisoner. 
After  being  in  their  possession  a  long  time  he  at  length 
made  his  escape  and  reached  home,  where  he  found 
his  wife  who  had  been  praying  for  him  constantly. 
Both  were  faithful  members  of  the  Methodist  Church, 
and  subsequently  preaching  was  held  at  their  house. 

We  have  related  this  to  show  what  was  the  state 
of  the  western  country,  and  what  the  trials  of  its 
inhabitants,  when  Asbury  and  his  fellow-laborers 
penetrated  the  wilderness  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  its 
destitute  population. 

The  next  place  at  which  we  find  Asbury  was  at 
quarterly  meeting  in  Philadelphia,  whence  he  went 
to  Burlington,  New  Jersey,  and  thence  on  to  ISTew 
York.  Of  New  York  he  says :  "  We  found  the  peo 
ple  alive  to  God.  There  are  about  one  hundred  in 
society,  and  with  those  in  Philadelphia,  to  my  mind, 
they  appear  more  like  Methodists  than  I  have  ever 
yet  seen  them."  He  was  greatly  comforted  by  this 
visit,  and  the  members  manifested  their  regard  for 
him  by  supplying  all  his  necessities.  After  visiting 
several  contiguous  places  and  preaching,  he  returned 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  135 

to  New  Jersey  and  Maryland.  On  Sunday,  Novem 
ber  14,  1784,  at  Barratt's  Chapel,  he  met  Dr.  Coke 
and  Richard  Whatcoat.  This  was  his  first  interview 
since  their  arrival  in  the  country.  When  they  made 
known  to  him  the  object  of  their  visit  and  the  pow 
ers  with  which  they  were  intrusted  by  Wesley,  he 
was  perfectly  astounded.  The  idea  of  his  not  only 
having  the  superintendency,  but  of  his  being  or 
dained  to  that  office,  was  more  than  he  could  think 
of  assuming  in  connection  with  Wesley  an  Method 
ism  ;  and  he  had,  to  use  his  own  language,  come 
to  the  determination  that  if  his  brethren  should 
unanimously  choose  him  to  that  office,  he  would 
not  accept  it  in  the  capacity  he  had  hitherto  done 
under  Wesley's  appointment. 

Before  the  departure  of  Coke  and  Whatcoat  from 
England,  Wesley  had  abridged  the  Book  of  Common 
Prayer,  and  with  the  assistance  of  Dr.  Coke  and 
Rev.  Mr.  Creighton,  of  the  Church  of  England,  he 
set  apart  by  solemn  ordination  Richard  Whatcoat 
and  Thomas  Yasey  as  elders  for  the  Church  in  Amer 
ica.  After  this  he  ordained  Dr.  Coke  as  superinten 
dent  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  America,  and  gave 
him  letters  of  ordination  under  his  hand  and  seal,  ac 
companied  by  a  letter,  in  which  he  appointed  Dr. 
Coke  and  Francis  Asbury  joint  superintendents  over 
the  Church  in  America. 

The  country  having  declared  itself  independent  of 


136  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

Great  Britain,  peace  having  been  obtained  and  com 
mercial  relations  restored,  the  question  of  an  inde 
pendent  Church  was  considerably  discussed  by  the 
preachers.  The  prevalent  opinion  was  that  the  time 
had  arrived  for  the  organization  of  a  separate  and 
distinct  Church,  free  from  all  ecclesiastical  alliance 
with  the  British  Conference  or  the  Established 
Church.  On  the  arrival  of  Dr.  Coke  with  his  pow 
ers  the  subject  was  renewed  with  greater  interest 
than  ever.  As  the  result  of  a  mutual  discussion  and 
interchange  of  opinion  among  several  of  the  more 
aged  preachers,  it  was  determined  to  call  a  General 
Conference,  to  meet  in  Baltimore  on  the  25th  of 
December,  1784.  The  Eev.  Freeborn  Garrettson, 
who  had  been  early  identified  with  the  preachers, 
and  who  was  a  native  American,  was  deputed  to  go 
to  Virginia  and  the  South  and  notify  the  preachers 
of  the  intended  Conference.  As  Asbury  was  desirous 
of  making  Dr.  Coke  acquainted  with  the  preachers 
and  their  work,  he  took  him  out  on  a  tour  from  cir 
cuit  to  circuit.  At  Bohemia  they  met  Yasey,  and  in 
company  they  passed  on  to  quarterly  meeting  at 
Deer  Creek.  Their  next  appointment  was  at  Gough's. 
After  remaining  in  this  place  near  a  week  they  rode 
to  Frederick  and  held  a  quarterly  meeting,  and  from 
thence  went  to  Calvert  quarterly  meeting.  Here 
Asbury  met  with  Poythress,  with  whom  he  had  a 
long  and  intimate  conversation  in  regard  to  the  con- 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  137 

templated  Conference  and  the  new  matters  which 
should  come  before  it.  The  love-feast  which  was 
held  here  was  one  of  great  interest  and  power.  The 
work  of  religion  among  the  colored  people  excited 
the  attention  of  Asbury  much. 

It  was  now  within  one  month  of  the  meeting  of 
Conference,  and  as  the  time  approached  Asbury  be 
came  more  and  more  absorbed  in  regard  to  the 
momentous  questions  which  would .  be  discussed. 
He  set  apart  seasons  for  fasting  and  special  prayer, 
that  he  might  know  the  divine  will  in  relation  to 
that  point  in  which  he  was  particularly  interested. 
The  preachers  and  people  generally,  so  far  as  his 
knowledge  extended,  seemed  to  look  upon  the  con 
templated  arrangement  with  favor,  and  from  this  he 
was  led  to  infer  the  Divine  approval.  But  he  was 
in  no  way  elated  with  the  prospect  of  advancement 
to  the  episcopal  office.  He  was  "not  high-minded, 
but  feared,"  as  his  clear  and  sagacious  foresight  as 
sured  him  that  the  position  would  be  attended  with 
difficulty  and  danger.  Soon  after  this  he  had  an  in 
teresting  conversation  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Weems,  the 
subsequent  biographer  of  Washington,  on  the  subject 
of  episcopal  Church  government.  On  the  fourth 
of  December  he  preached  in  Baltimore,  and  subse 
quently  at  the  Point,  and  from  that  time  he  devoted 
himself  almost  entirely  to  preparation  for  the  coming 
Conference. 


138  LIFE   AND   TIMES   OF 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Length  of  Time  in  America  —  His  Age  —  An  unordained  Preacher 
—  Number  of  Preachers  and  Members  —  Character  of  the  Preachers 
associated  with  him  —  Marsden's  Description  of  Asbury  —  "Christmas 
General  Conference"  —  Dr.  Coke — Wesley's  Letter  —  An  important 
Occasion  —  A  distinct  and  separate  Organization  —  Title  of  Church  — 
Office  of  Bishop  elective  —  Coke  and  Asbury  elected  Bishops  —  Or 
dination  of  Asbury  —  Ordination  Sermon  —  Ordination  of  Deacons  — 
Power  exercised  by  Asbury  as  an  Assistant  Superintendent  under 
"Wesley  —  Conference  defines  the  Duty  of  a  Bishop  —  Abuse  of  Power 
— Character  of  the  present  Episcopacy  —  Short  Obituaries  —  Asbury's 
first  Sermon  as  a  Bishop  —  Change  in  his  Journal  —  Effect  of  Adminis 
tration  of  the  Ordinances  by  Asbury  on  other  Churches  —  Charleston, 
South  Carolina  —  Lee  —  Willis  —  Conferences  —  New  Circuits  —  Great 
Revivals  —  York  —  Surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis  —  Alexandria — Visit 
to  George  Washington  —  Bath  Springs  —  Preaches  in  a  Theater  —  Bal 
timore —  Philadelphia  —  New  York  —  Heavy  Labors  —  Liberality  of 
New  York  Methodists  —  Asbury's  first  Wagon  —  Last  Wagon. 

FIFTEEN  years  had  elapsed  since  Asbury  commenced 
preaching  in  America.  He  was  now  forty  years  of 
age,  and  more  than  half  of  his  life  had  been  spent  in 
preaching  the  Gospel,  yet  up  to  this  time  he  was  an 
unordained  man.  No  ordinances  of  the  Church  had 
ever  yet  been  administered  by  his  hands,  and  he  con 
sented  with  the  rest  of  his  brethren  in  the  ministry  to 
receive  the  sacrament  at  the  hands  of  the  Episcopal 
priesthood.  He  had  witnessed  the  progress  of  the 
Church  in  America  from  a  feeble-  beginning,  and  had 
watched  over  it  with  the  tenderest  solicitude.  When 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  139 

he  entered  upon  the  work  there  were  but  eight 
preachers,  and  a  membership  of  only  about  six  hun 
dred  ;  now  the  number  of  preachers  was  one  hundred 
and  four,  and  the  membership  had  risen  to  eighteen 
thousand.  The  preachers  associated  with  him  were 
all  men  of  character,  remarkably  adapted  to  the 
times,  and  some  of  them  were  not  a  whit  behind  min 
isters  of  other  denominations  for  eloquence  and 
scholarly  attainment.  If  Methodism  in  England 
could  boast  of  its  Wesley  and  Fletcher,  American 
Methodism  could  boast  of  its  Asbury  and  Coke. 
They  act  neither  wisely  nor  justly  who  in  speaking 
of  our  fathers  offer  disparaging  hints  as  to  their  want 
of  education,  and  their  inefficiency  on  that  account. 
They  were  not  all  learned  in  the  schools,  perhaps,  be 
cause  such  facilities  were  not  afforded  them.  ISTor 
did  they  need  such  learning.  They  were  not  as  a 
general  thing  brought  into  contact  with  the  learned, 
but  with  that  stern  and  sturdy  manhood  which  is 
the  result  of  an  every-day  battle  with  the  realities 
of  life.  Deep  students  they  were  in  the  things  of 
nature  and  the  mysteries  of  God.  Shut  up  to  their 
Bibles  and  communion  with  the  Father  of  spirits, 
they  obtained  an  insight  into  the  operations  of 
the  human  mind  and  a  knowledge  of  spiritual 
things  which  gave  them  a  power  over  men,  and  a 
power  with  God,  such  as  the  closeted  theologian,  sur- 
%  rounded  by  his  tomes  of  speculative  divinity,  never 


140  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

could  attain.  Often  has  the  remark  been  made  of 
Asbury  that  "  he  could  read  men,"  an  acquisition,  for 
one  whose  mission  was  among  the  masses,  vastly 
superior  to  that  of  an  ability  to  read  Sanscrit,  or  any 
or  all  of  the  languages  living  or  dead.  The  following, 
as  an  illustration  of  his  remarkable  penetration  and 
ability  to  look  beneath  the  exterior,  and  judge  of 
human  character,  is  related  in  Cartwright's  Autobi 
ography.  The  incident  occurred  at  one  of  the  "West 
ern  Conferences :  "  The  Conference  had  been  pre 
ceded  with  glorious  revivals  of  religion,  and  many  of 
the  wealthy,  and  some  of  the  learned,  had  joined  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  among  whom  were  two 
very  learned  young  men ;  one  of  them  the  son  of  a 
very  distinguished,  learned  teacher,  the  other  the  son 
of  a  general — a  distinguished,  wealthy  man.  Both 
of  these  young  men  professed  to  have  a  call  to  the 
ministry,  and  came  with  a  recommendation  to  the 
Conference  to  be  received  on  trial  in  the  traveling 
connection.  They  were  both  present,  and  Bishop  As 
bury  had  narrowly  observed  their  conduct  and  conver 
sation.  At  the  proper  time  Brother  Learner  Black- 
man,  their  presiding  elder,  presented  their  recommen 
dations.  He  spoke  of  them  in  the  highest  terms,  and 
considered  them  a  great  acquisition  to  the  ministry 
and  the  Church.  The  Conference  received  them 
with  great  unanimity.  Bishop  Asbury  had  sat  with 
his  eyes  nearly  shut.  After  they  were  received  he^ 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  141 

seemed  to  wake  np.  "  Yes,  yes !"  he  exclaimed ; 
"  in  all  probability  they  both  will  disgrace  you  and 
themselves  before  the  year  is  out."  And  sure 
enough,  in  six  months  one  was  riding  the  circuit  with 
a  loaded  pistol  and  a  dirk,  threatening  to  shoot  and 
stab  the  rowdies ;  the  other  was  guilty  of  a  misde 
meanor,  and  in  less  than  nine  months  they  wore  both 
out  of  the  Church."  Asbury  was  gifted  with  a  won 
derful  power  of  discernment,  and  rarely  failed  in  his 
judgment  of  human  character. 

The  Rev.  Joshua  Marsden  thus  describes  him : 
;i  Bishop  Asbury  was  one  of  those  very  few  men 
whom  nature  forms  in  no  ordinary  mold.  His  mind 
was  stamped  with  a  certain  greatness  and  originality 
which  lifted  him  far  above  the  merely  learned  man, 
and  fitted  him  to  be  great  without  science,  and  ven 
erable  without  titles.  His  knowledge  of  men  was 
profound  and  penetrating;  hence  he  looked  into 
character  as  one  looks  into  a  clear  stream  in  order  to 
discover  the  bottom  ;  yet  he  did  not  use  this  penetra 
tion  to  compass  any  unworthy  purposes ;  the  policy  of 
knowing  men  in  order  to  make  the  most  of  them,  was 
a  littleness  to  which  he  never  stooped.  He  had  only 
one  end  in  view,  and  that  was  worthy  the  dignity  of 
an  angel ;  from  this  nothing  ever  warped  him  aside. 
He  seemed  conscious  that  God  had  designed  him  for 
a  great  work,  and  nothing  was  wanting  on  his  part  to 
fulfill  the  intention  of  Providence.  The  niche  was 


142  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

cut  in  the  great  temple  of  usefulness,  and  he  stretched 
himself  to  fill  it  up  in  all  its  dimensions.  To  him 
the  widest  career  of  labor  and  duty  presented  no  ob 
stacle.  Like  a  moral  Caesar,  he  thought  nothing  done 
while  anything  remained  to  do.  His  penetrating 
eye  measured  the  ground  over  which  he  intended  to 
sow  the  seeds  of  eternal  life,  while  his  courageous  and 
active  mind  cheerfully  embraced  all  the  difficulties 
engrafted  upon  his  labors.  He  worshiped  no  god  of 
the  name  of  Terminus,  but  stretched  *  his  line  of 
things'  far  beyond  the  bounds  of  ordinary  minds.  An 
annual  journey  of  six  thousand  miles  through  a  wil 
derness  would  have  sunk  a  feebler  mind  into  despond 
ency  ;  but  nothing  retarded  his  progress,  or  once 
moved  him  from  the  line  of  duty.  He  pursued  the 
most  difficult  and  laborious  course  as  most  men  do 
their  pleasures ;  and  although  for  many  years  he  wras 
enfeebled  by  sickness,  and  worn  with  age  and  infirm 
ity,  two  hundred  thousand  persons  saw  with  astonish 
ment  the  hoary  veteran  'still  standing  in  his  lot,' 
or  '  pressing  his  vast  line '  of  duty  with  undiminished 
zeal.  The  Methodist  connection  in  united  America 
gloried  in  having  such  a  man  to  preside  at  their 
head,  and  few  of  the  preachers  ever  spoke  of  his  in 
tegrity,  diligence,  and  zeal,  without  imputing  to 
themselves  some  worth  in  having  him  as  their  bishop. 
To  all  that  bore  the  appearance  of  polished  and  pleas 
ing  life  he  was  dead  ;  and  both  from  habit  and  divine 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  143 

grace  had  acquired  such  a  true  greatness  of  mind, 
that  he  seemed  to  estimate  nothing  as  excellent  but 
what  tended  to  the  glory  of  God.  Flattery,  of  which 
many  great  minds  are  highly  susceptible,  found  him 
fortified  behind  a  double  guard  of  humility,  and  op 
position  but  served  to  awaken  those  energies  of  mind 
which  rise  with  difficulties  and  surmount  the  greatest. 
He  knew  nothing  about  pleasing  the  flesh  at  the  ex 
pense  of  duty ;  flesh  and  blood  were  enemies  with 
whom  lie  never  took  counsel ;  he  took  a  high  stand 
ing  upon  the  rugged  Alps  of  labor,  and  to  all  that 
lagged  behind,  he  said,  '  Come  up  hither.'  He  was 
a  rigid  enemy  to  ease  ;  hence  the  pleasures  of  study 
and  the  charms  of  recreation  he  alike  sacrificed  to 
the  more  sublime  work  of  saving  souls.  His  faith 
was  a  '  constant  evidence  of  things  not  seen,'  for  he 
lived  as  a  man  totally  blind  to  all  worldly  attractions. 
It  is  true  that  his  self-denial  savored  of  austerity,  and 
yet  he  could  sympathize  with  another's  weakness. 
Some  great  and  good  men  have  had  their  sportive 
moments,  and  without  committing  '  half  a  sin,'  have 
both  smiled  themselves,  and  been  amused  with 
others.  But,  although  I  have  been  in  his  company 
upon  a  variety  of  occasions,  I  never  saw  him  indulge 
in  even  innocent  pleasantry  ;  his  was  the  solemnity  of 
an  apostle ;  it  was  so  interwoven  with  his  conduct 
that  he  could  not  put  off'  the  gravity  of  the  bishop 
either  in  the  parlor  or  dining-room.  What,  on  ac- 


144  LIFE   AND    TIMES    OF 

count  of  levity,  was  once  said  of  a  popular  preacher, 
that  he  should  either  never  go  in,  or  never  come  out 
of  a  pulpit,  could  never  be  applied  to  him.  Wisdom 
is  not  more  distant  from  folly  than  his  conduct  was 
from  anything  akin  to  trifling.  He  had  stated  hours 
of  retirement  and  prayer  J  upon  which  he  let  neither 
business  nor  company  break  in.  Prayer  was  the 
seasoning  of  all  his  avocations  ;  he  never  suffered  the 
cloth  to  be  removed  from  the  table  until  he  had 
kneeled  down  to  address  the  Almighty ;  it  was  the 
preface  to  all  business,  and  often  the  link  that  con 
nected  opposite  duties,  and  the  conclusion  of  what 
ever  he  took  in  hand.  Divine  wisdom  seemed  to 
direct  all  his  undertakings,  for  he  sought  its  counsels 
upon  all  occasions ;  no  part  of  his  conduct  was  the 
result  of  accident ;  the  plan  by  which  lie  transacted 
all  his  affairs  was  as  regular  as  the  movements  of  a 
time-piece,  hence  he  had  no  idle  moments,  no  frag 
ments  of  time  broken  and  scattered  up  and  down  ;  no 
cause  to  say  with  Titus,  i  my  friends,  I  have  lost  a 
day.'  Pleading  with  God  in  secret,  settling  the 
various  affairs  of  the  body  over  which  he  presided, 
or  speaking  '  to  men  for  their  edification'  in  the  pul 
pit,  occupied  all  time. 

"As  a  preacher,  although  not  an  orator,  he  was  dig 
nified,  eloquent,  and  impressive  ;  his  sermons  were  the 
result  of  good  sense  and  sound  wisdom,  delivered 
with  great  authority  and  gravity,  and  often  attended 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  145 

with  Divine  unction,  which  made  them  as  refreshing 

'  O 

as  the  dew  of  heaven.  One  of  the  last  subjects  I 
heard  him  preach  upon  was  union  and  brotherly 
love ;  it  was  the  greatest  I  ever  heard  upon  that- 
subject." 

One  who  was  intimately  acquainted  with  him  said 
to  the  writer :  "  Asbury  was  the  only  preacher  I  ever 
heard  who  preached  to  his  text.  He  never  preached 
from  it,  as  many  do  who  select  a  passage  as  the  mere 
theme  of  a  discourse,  the  discussion  of  which  would 
be  as  applicable  to  an  axiom  of  Coleridge  as  to  the 
text,  but  he  would  start  a  proposition,  and  in  its 
elaboration  would  come  directly  to  the  text.  With 
him,  proposition,  argument,  illustration,  incident, 
everything  was  either  immediately  drawn  from  or 
directly  connected  with  the  subject  of  discourse." 

The  Rev.  Joseph  Travis,  of  the  Memphis  Confer 
ence,  says  of  him :  "Any  one  of  discernment  and  judg 
ment  who  has  heard  Bishop  Asbury  preach  could  not 
but  notice  his  chaste  though  plain  style,  his  gram 
matical  correctness,  without  the  redundancy  of  rhe 
torical  figures.  In  argumentation  he  abounded  in 
enthymemes  without  the  circumlocution  of  logical 
propositions.  Indeed,  lie  was  a  learned  man,  and 
in  the  science  of  theology  had  but  few  equals  if  any 
superiors." 

The  25th  of  December,  1784,  at  length  arrived, 
and  Baltimore  witnessed  the  gathering  of  sixty  out  of 

10 


146  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

the  whole  number  of  preachers  to  the  annual  convo 
cation.  Dr.  Coke  was  present  at  the  Conference, 
and  gave  great  satisfaction  by  his  urbanity,  and  the 
impartial  manner  in  which  he  presided. 

The  first  thing  brought  before  the  body  was  the 
letter  of  Wesley,  which  was  subjected  to  a  calm 
and  thorough  deliberation.  As  this  letter  presents 
"Wesley's  reason  for  acting  as  he  did,  and  at  the 
same  time  is  an  unanswerable  defense  of  the 
subsequent  action  of  the  Conference,  we  give  it 
entire. 

"BRISTOL,  September  10,  1784. 

"To  DR.  COKE,  MR.  FRANCIS  ASBCRY,  AND  OUR 
BRETHREN  IN  NORTH  AMERICA  : 

"  1.  By  a  very  uncommon  train  of  providences 
many  of  the  provinces  of  North  America  are  totally 
disjoined  from  the  British  empire,  and  erected  into 
independent  states.  The  English  government  has  no 
authority  over  them,  either  civil  or  ecclesiastical,  any 
more  than  over  the  states  of  Holland.  A  civil 
authority  is  exercised  over  them  partly  by  the  Con 
gress,  and  partly  by  the  state  assemblies.  But  no  one 
either  exercises  or  claims  any  ecclesiastical  authority 
at  all.  In  this  peculiar  situation  some  thousands  of 
the  inhabitants  of  these  states  desire  my  advice,  and 
in  compliance  with  their  desire  I  have  drawn  up  a 
little  sketch. 


FRANCIS    ASBUBY. 

"  2.  Lord  King's  Account  of  the  Primitive  Church 
convinced  me  many  years  ago  that  bishops  and  pres 
byters  are  the  same  order,  and  consequently  have  the 
same  right  to  ordain.  For  many  years  I  have  been 
importuned  from  time  to  time  to  exercise  this  right 
by  ordaining  part  of  our  traveling  preachers,  but  I 
have  still  refused,  not  only  for  peace'  sake,  but  be 
cause  J  was  determined  as  little  as  possible  to  violate 
the  established  order  of  the  national  Church  to 
which  I  belong. 

"  3.  But  the  case  is  widely  different  between  En 
gland  and  North  America.  Here  there  are  bishops 
who  have  a  legal  jurisdiction.  In  America  there  are 
none,  and  but  few  parish  ministers,  so  that  for  some 
hundred  miles  together  there  is  none  either  to  bap 
tize  or  to  administer  the  Lord's  Supper.  Here,  there 
fore,  my  scruples  are  at  an  end,  and  I  conceive  my 
self  at  full  liberty,  as  I  violate  no  order  and  invade 
no  man's  right  by  appointing  and  sending  laborers 
into  the  harvest. 

"  4.  I  have  accordingly  appointed  Dr.  Coke  and  Mr. 
Francis  Asbury  to  be  joint  Superintendents  over  our 
brethren  in  North  America,  as  also  Richard  Whatcoat 
and  Thomas  Yasey  to  act  as  elders  among  them  by 
administering  baptism  and  the  Lord's  supper. 

"  5.  If  any  one  will  point  out  a  more  rational  and 
Scriptural  way  of  feeding  and  guiding  those  poor 
sheep  in  the  wilderness,  I  will  gladly  embrace  it. 


148  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

At  present  I  cannot  see  any  better  method  than  that 
I  have  taken. 

"  6.  It  has,  indeed,  been  proposed  to  desire  the 
English  bishops  to  ordain  part  of  our  preachers  for 
America.  But  to  this  I  object,  (1.)  I  desired  the 
Bishop  of  London  to  ordain  one  only,  but  could  not 
prevail.  (2.)  If  they  consented,  we  know  the  slow 
ness  of  their  proceedings ;  but  the  matter  admits  of 
no  delay.  (3.)  If  they  would  ordain  them  now  they 
would  likewise  expect  to  govern  them,  and  how 
grievously  would  this  entangle  us.  (4.)  As  our 
American  brethren  are  now  totally  disentangled 
both  from  the  state  and  the  English  hierarchy,  we 
dare  not  entangle  them  again  either  with  the  one  or 
the  other.  They  are  now  at  full  liberty  simply  to 
follow  the  Scriptures  and  the  primitive  Church.  And 
we  judge  it  best  they  should  stand  fast  in  that  liberty 
wherewith  God  has  so  strangely  made  them  free. 

"JOHN  WESLEY." 

Never  before  had  the  preachers  met  on  so  import 
ant  and  solemn  an  occasion.  Fifteen  years  had 
passed  away  since  Wesley's  first  missionaries,  Board- 
man  and  Pilmoor,  arrived  in  America.  Fourteen 
Conferences  had  been  held,  and  again  the  toiling 
itinerants  had  assembled  from  their  different  and 
distant  fields  of  labor  and  conquest  to  congratulate 
each  other  on  the  success  which  had  attended  their 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  149 

ministrations.  After  the  necessary  action  had  been 
taken  by  which  they  constituted  themselves  and  fel 
low-members  a  distinct  and  separate  Church,  the 
question  came  up  in  regard  to  the  title  by  which 
they  should  be  designated.  At  this  crisis  John 
Dickins,  a  man  of  varied  learning,  sound  sense,  and 
sterling  piety,  than  whom  none  of  the  entire  Confer 
ence  commanded  greater  respect,  rose  and  proposed 
The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  which  was  adopted 
without  a  dissenting  voice. 

The  first  act  of  the  Conference,  therefore,  was  to 
adopt  a  declaration  that  the  Methodist  societies  are 
free  and  independent,  and  organize  them  into  a  body 
ever  after  to  be  known  as  The  Methodist  Episco 
pal  Church  in  the  United  States.  The  next  act  was 
to  declare  the  office  of  bishop  elective,  after  which 
a  unanimous  vote  was  cast  in  favor  of  Dr.  Thomas 
Coke  and  Francis  Asbury  as  bishops  of  this  Church. 

Asbury,  being  up  to  his  election  unordained,  was 
first  ordained  a  deacon  and  then  an  elder.  After 
this  ceremony  of  consecration,  Dr.  Coke,  assisted  by 
several  elders,  set  him  apart  by  the  imposition  of 
hands  as  Bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
The  following  is  the  certificate  of  his  ordination : 

"  Know  all  men  by  these  presents,  That  I,  Thomas 
Coke,  Doctor  of  Civil  Law,  late  of  Jesus  Col 
lege,  in  the  University  of  Oxford,  Presbyter  of  the 
Church  of  England  and  Superintendent  of  the  Meth- 


150  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

odist  Episcopal  Church  in  America,  under  the  protec 
tion  of  Almighty  God,  and  with  a  single  eye  to  his 
glory,  by  the  imposition  of  my  hands  and  prayer, 
(being  assisted  by  two  ordained  elders,)  did,  on  the 
twenty-fifth  day  of  this  month  (December)  set  apart 
Francis  Asbury  for  the  office  of  a  deacon  in  the 
aforesaid  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  And  also  on 
the  twenty-sixth  day  of  the  said  month  did,  by  the 
imposition  of  my  hands  and  prayer,  (being  assisted 
by  the  said  elders,)  set  apart  the  said  Francis  Asbury 
for  the  office  of  elder  in  the  said  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  And  on  this  twenty-seventh  day  of  the  said 
month,  being  the  day  of  the  date  hereof,  have,  by 
the  imposition  of  my  hands  and  prayer,  (being  as 
sisted  by  the  said  elders,)  set  apart  Francis  Asbury 
for  the  office  of  Superintendent  in  the  said  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  a  man  whom  I  judge  to  be  well 
qualified  for  the  great  work.  And  I  do  hereby 
recommend  him  to  all  whom  it  may  concern  as  a  fit 
person  to  preside  over  the  flock  of  Christ. 

"In  testimony  hereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand 
and  seal  this  twenty-seventh  day  of  December,  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord  1784.  THOMAS  COKE." 

A  sermon  was  preached  by  Dr.  Coke  on  the  occa 
sion  from  Rev.  iii,  7-11.  The  sermon  was  vindica 
tory  of  the  action  of  the  Conference  in  its  assumption 
of  an  episcopal  form  of  government,  and  entered 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  151 

somewhat  elaborately  into  the  argument  of  succes 
sion,  concluding  with  the  qualifications  necessary  for 
a  Christian  bishop. 

The  office  of  deacon  and  elder  being  made  elective 
as  well  as  that  of  bishop,  the  following  twelve  were 
elected  and  ordained  elders:  Freeborn  Garrettson, 
William  Gill,  Le  Koy  Cole,  John  Haggerty,  James  O. 
Cromwell,  John  Tunnel,  Kelson  Reed,  Jeremiah  Lam 
bert,  Reuben  Ellis,  James  O'Kelly,  Richard  Ivey, 
Beverly  Allen,  and  Henry  Willis.  One  of  these  was 
ordained  for  the  Island  of  Antigua  and  two  for  Nova 
Scotia.  John  Dickins,  Caleb  Boyer,  and  Ignatius 
Pigman  were  elected  and  ordained  deacons. 

The  ordination  of  Asbury  to  the  office  of  bishop, 
though  it  conferred  upon  him  a  new  title,  did  not 
increase  his  power  or  his  usefulness.  His  determina 
tion  to  submit  to  the  will  of  a  majority,  and  his  un 
willingness  to  exercise  any  power  not  delegated  to 
him  by  his  brother  preachers,  deprived  him  of  the 
power  he  exercised  under  the  appointment  of  Wes 
ley  as  General  Superintendent  or  assistant.  Acting 
as  he  did  in  Wesley's  stead,  his  power  was  almost,  if 
not  quite,  absolute  in  the  Conference,  and  the  right 
was  conceded  to  him  at  any  time  to  stop  discussion 
on  any  subject,  and  decide  the  question  when  in  his 
judgment  enough  had  been  said  on  both  sides.  From 
this  decision  there  was  no  appeal.  His  acts  in  decid 
ing  questions,  as  well  as  in  stationing  the  preachers, 


152  LIFE    AKD    TIMES    OF 

were  peremptory  and  final.  At  this  Conference, 
however,  tinder  the  question,  "  What  is  the  duty  of  a 
bishop?"  the  following  answer  is  given  :  "To  preside 
as  moderator  in  our  Conferences,  fix  the  appointments 
of  the  preachers  for  the  several  circuits,  and  in  the 
interval  of  the  Conference  to  change,  receive,  or  sus 
pend  preachers  as  necessity  may  require;  to  travel 
through  as  many  circuits  as  he  can,  and  to  direct  in 
the  spiritual  business  of  the  societies,  as  also  to  ordain 
bishops,  elders,  and  deacons."  The  following  note  is 
added:  "The  bishop  has  obtained  liberty  by  the  suf 
frages  of  the  Conference  to  ordain  local  preachers  to 
the  office  of  deacons,  provided  they  obtain  a  testi 
monial  from  the  society  to  which  they  belong,  and 
from  the  stewards  of  the  circuit,  signed  by  three 
traveling  preachers,  three  deacons,  and  three  elders, 
(one  of  them  being  presiding  elder,)  the  names  of 
those  nominated  being  read  in  the  Conference  pre 
vious  to  their  ordination." 

It  was  doubtless  an  abuse  of  the  power  exercised 
by  Rankin  as  superintendent  which  brought  him  in 
collision  with  the  preachers,  and  induced  him  at  one 
time  to  complain  of  Asbury  to  Wesley ;  and  it  was 
doubtless  the  experience  of  Asbury  in  regard  to  the 
operation  of  this  part  of  the  machinery  of  Church 
government,  that  prompted  him  to  take  the  course  he 
did  in  refusing  the  episcopate  without  the  unanimous 
concurrence  of  his  brother  preachers,  and  also,  no 


FKANC1S    A8BURY.  153 

•* 

doubt,  to  him  is  to  be  ascribed  the  moderate  episco 
pacy  which  has  ever  since  characterized  the  Church. 

Our  bishops  now  rarely,  if  ever,  speak  in  Conference 
on  any  subject  not  immediately  connected  with 
their  office,  and  never  advance  an  opinion  unless 
solicited  by  the  action  of  the  Conference,  much  less 
presume  to  decide  questions  of  debate.  We  have 
even  known  them  voted  down  when  in  the  exercise 
of  the  only  right  they  have  in  deciding  questions  of 
order.  Their  decisions  of  law  are  subject  to  quadren 
nial  revision,  and  may  be  wholly  set  aside  by  the 
General  Conference.  They  have  not  even  the  right 
which  is  allowed  to  every  president  and  moderator 
of  any  and  every  ecclesiastical  assembly  with  which 
we  are  acquainted,  to  vote  on  any  question,  no  matter 
how  vital  to  Methodism.  They  have  never  in  any 
instance  transcended  their  powers,  but,  as  those  who 
have  been  placed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  position 
of  overseers,  have  always  commended  themselves  by 
their  holy  lives,  and  their  zeal  and  self-sacrificing 
devotion  to  all  the  interests  of  the  Church. 

We  find  in  the  printed  Minutes  of  this  memorable 
Conference  two  short  obituaries  under  the  question 
"  Who  have  died  this  year?"  This  was  the  first  time 
this  question  appeared  in  the  Minutes.  Death  had 
not  before  invaded  the  ranks  of  the  regular  itiner 
ancy,  and  hence  no  memorials  of  his  doings  were  to 
be  found  on  the  records  of  the  previous  Conferences. 


154  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

*P 

We  transcribe  these  memoirs  because  of  their  remark 
able  brevity  and  point,  and  as  admirable  specimens 
of  biography.  The  first  answer  to  the  question, 
"Who  have  died  this  year?"  reads  :  "Caleb  B.  Ped- 
icord — a  man  of  sorrows,  and,  like  his  Master,  ac 
quainted  with  grief;  but  a  man  dead  to  the  world, 
and  much  devoted  to  God." 

A  writer,  in  describing  Pedicord,  says:  "There 
was  one  for  whom  Asbury  looked  in  vain,  one  who 
had  been  his  companion  in  many  a  long  and  dreary 
journey,  one  whose  eloquent  voice  had  often  made 
the  hearts  of  listening  thousands 

'  Thrill  as  if  an  angel  spoke, 
Or  Ariel's  finger  toucli'd  the  string.' 

Pedicord,  the  gentle  spirited,  the  generous  minded, 
the  noble  souled,  the  silver-tongued  Pedicord,  had 
fallen,  had  fallen  in  his  youth,  fallen  in  his  opening 
glory  and  abundant  promise.  Asbury  looked  for  him 
and  he  was  not.  The  grave  had  closed  over  his  body, 
and  his  spirit  had  passed  to  the  land  where  only 
spirits  so  refined,  so  sensitive,  so  ethereal  as  his  find 
congenial  sympathy  and  rest." 

The  second  answer  is  as  follows :  "  George  Mair — 
a  man  of  affliction,  but  of  great  patience  and  resigna 
tion,  and  of  excellent  understanding." 

These  brief,  comprehensive  memoirs  are  more  ex 
pressive  than  lengthened  eulogy.  There  is  something 
so  remarkable  in  these  obituaries  that  the  reader  will 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  155 

pardon  us  if  we  add  a  few  more,  as  they  are  found  in 
succeeding  Minutes  of  the  Conferences. 

"  Jeremiah  Lambert — an  elder,  six  years  in  the 
work;  a  man  of  sound  judgment,  clear  understanding, 
good  gifts,  genuine  piety,  and  very  useful,  humble, 
and  holy;  diligent  in  life  and  resigned  in  death; 
much  esteemed  in  the  connection,  and  justly  la 
mented.  We  do  not  sorrow  as  men  without  hope, 
but  expect  shortly  to  join  him  and  all  those  who  rest 
from  their  labors." 

"  James  Thomas — a  pious  young  man  of  good  gifts, 
useful  and  acceptable,  blameless  in  his  life,  and  much 
resigned  in  his  death." 

"Henry  Bingham — a  native  of  Virginia,  four  years 
a  laborer  in  the  vineyard,  serious,  faithful,  zealous, 
humble  and  teachable,  and  during  part  of  the  last 
year  more  than  commonly  successful;  fervent  in  ex 
hortation  during  his  sickness,  and  resigned  in  death." 

"William  Gill — a  native  of  Delaware,  an  elder  in 
the  Church,  and  a  laborer  in  it  for  about  twelve 
years;  blameless  in  life,  of  quick  and  solid  parts, 
sound  in  the  faith,  clear  in  his  judgment,  meek  in 
his  spirit,  resigned  and  solemnly  happy  in  his  death." 

"John  Cooper — fifteen  years  in  the  work;  quiet, 
inoffensive,  and  blameless;  a  son  of  affliction,  subject 
to  dejection,  sorrow,  and  sufferings,  often  in  want, 
but  too  modest  to  complain  till  observed  and  relieved 
by  his  friends.  He  died  in  peace." 


156  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

James  White — a  native  of  Maryland,  about  eight 
years  in  the  work ;  a  simple-hearted  man  and  a 
lively  preacher;  afflicted,  yet  active  and  laborious; 
soft  and  kind  in  his  affections,  patient  in  suffering, 
well  received  and  much  esteemed,  successful  in  the 
work  of  God,  resigned  in  his  death." 

"Francis  Spry — a  pious  man,  skillful  and  lively  in 
his  preaching,  sound  in  judgment,  holy  in  his  life, 
placid  in  his  mind,  of  unshaken  confidence  and 
patience  in  his  death  ;  four  years  a  laborer  in  the 
vineyard." 

"  John  Tunnell,  who  died  of  a  consumption  at  the 
Sweet  Springs  in  July.  He  was  about  thirteen 
years  in  the  work  of  the  ministry,  a  man  of  solid 
piety,  great  simplicity,  and  godly  sincerity ;  well 
known,  and  much  esteemed  both  by  ministers  and 
people.  He  had  traveled  extensively  through  the 
states,  and  declined  in  sweet  peace." 

After  the  session  of  Conference  on  Monday,  As- 
bury  preached  his  first  sermon  since  his  ordination. 
It  was  very  evident  that  the  imposition  of  hands 
communicated  no  new  grace  or  gift,  for  according  to 
his  own  experience  he  "  was  unsettled  in  mind  and 
low  in  his  own  testimony."  The  next  day  he 
traveled  on  horseback  fifty  miles  through  frost  and 
snow  to  Fairfax,  Virginia.  The  day  following  he 
rode  forty  miles  further,  and  thus  continued  until  the 
Sabbath,  when  he  halted  for  labor  not  for  rest. 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  157 

We  now  discover  a  change  in  the  entries  made  in 
Asbury's  Journal.  Previously  he  gave  a  simple 
statement  of  his  preaching,  associated  with  the  exer 
cises  of  his  mind,  and  the  incidents  connected  with 
his  traveling.  Now,  in  addition  to  these,  he  records 
his  acts  in  administering  the  ordinances.  Hence,  at 
his  Sabbath  appointment  he  writes :  "  We  read 
prayers,  preached,  ordained  Brother  Willis,  deacon, 
and  baptized  some  children."  As  a  part  of  his  ex 
perience,  he  adds:  "I  am  sometimes  afraid  of  being 
led  to  think  something  more  of  myself  in  my  new 
station  than  formerly."  From  Virginia  he  went  to 
North  Carolina.  In  his  journey  he  records  the  usual 
incidents  of  long  fatiguing  rides  over  rough  roads, 
crossing  rivers  and  rugged  mountains,  sleeping  in 
comfortless  quarters,  frequently  three  in  a  bed,  and 
hard  fare.  He  remarks  in  one  place  where  he  ad 
ministered  the  ordinances,  that  "  nothing  could  have 
better  suited  the  old  Church  folks  than  the  late  step 
the  Conference  had  taken  in  regard  to  ordination ;  to 
the  catholic  Presbyterians  it  also  gave  satisfaction ; 
but  the  Baptists  were  not  at  all  pleased  with  the 
movement,  and  in  some  instances  they  presented 
difficulties  in  the  way  of  infant  baptism,  unsettling  the 
minds  of  some."  From  hence  he  went  to  South 
Carolina,  preaching  at  every  place  on  the  route 
where  congregations  could  be  collected.  In  refer 
ence  to  .Charleston  he  says:  "The  Calvinists  are  the 


158  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

only  people  here  who  appear  to  have  any  sense  of  re 
ligion,  and  they  are  much  alarmed.  Yesterday  (Sun 
day)  we  had  small  congregations  in  the  morning  and 
»t  noon,  but  at  night  we  were  crowded.  In  the 
evening,  while  Brother  Lee  preached,  the  people  were 
a  little  moved."  After  remaining  in  Charleston  dur 
ing  another  week,  preaching  frequently  through 
opposition  from  the  ministers  of  the  place,  who  mis 
represented  the  doctrines  of  Methodism  to  the  people, 
he  departed  on  his  journey.  Willis,  who  had  been 
ordained  an  elder,  and  accompanied  Asbury  and  Lee 
to  Charleston,  was  left  to  labor  in  the  place,  and,  if 
possible,  raise  up  a  Methodist  society. 

During  this  year  Asbury  attended  three  Confer 
ences,  at  which  all  the  important  business  of  a  local 
nature  was  transacted.  Five  new  circuits  were  add 
ed  :  Santee  and  Pedee  in  North  Carolina,  Newark 
in  New  Jersey,  and  Kentucky  in  the  State  of  Ken 
tucky.  The  stations  in  Antigua  (in  the  West  Indies) 
and  Nova  Scotia  were  continued  on  the  Minutes. 
Great  revivals  prevailed  in  Maryland  and  other  parts 
of  the  country,  and  upward  of  five  hundred  had  been 
converted  and  joined  the  Church  on  Talbot  Circuit 
alone.  The  membership  rose  to  twenty  thousand 
six  hundred  and  eighty-four,  and  the  number  of  trav 
eling  preachers  to  one  hundred  and  seventeen,  an  in 
crease  in  the  former  of  upward  of  two  thousand  six 
hundred,  and  in  the  latter  of  thirteen. 


FBANCIS   ASBURY.  159 

In  his  visit  to  Yorktown  during  this  year  he  makes 
the  following  entry:  "  Rode  to  York,  lately  the  seat  of 
war.  Here  Lord  Cornwallis  surrendered  to  the  com 
bined  armies  of  America  and  France.  The  inhabit 
ants  are  dissolute  and  careless.  I  preached  to  a  few 
serious  women  at  one  o'clock,  and  at  the  desire  of  the 
ladies  again  at  four.  I  lodged  in  the  poor-house." 
From  this  place  he  went  to  Alexandria,  where  he 
paid  a  visit  to  General  Washington,  who  treated  him 
with  great  courtesy  and  respect.  For  Washington, 
Asbury  ever  had  the  greatest  regard  and  admiration, 
as  will  be  seen  in  the  subsequent  pages  of  this  book. 
While  on  a  visit  to  the  Bath  Springs,  Virginia,  he 
preached  in  the  theater,  and  lodged  under  the  same 
roof  with  the  play-actors.  Some  who  would  not  hear 
him  preach  at  their  respective  homes,  made  in  this 
new  and  strange  place  a  part  of  his  audience.  His 
spirit  was  much  grieved  while  beholding  the  vanity 
displayed  by  the  fashionable  frequenters  of  this 
watering-place.  From  Bath  he  went  to  Baltimore, 
and  from  thence  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  had  a 
large  congregation.  From  Philadelphia  he  rode  to 
New  York,  and  preached  on  three  successive  days. 
We  note  his  labors  in  this  city  for  one  Sabbath. 
He  says^  "Notwithstanding  I  was  very  unwell  I 
preached  three  times,  read  prayers  twice,  and 
held  a  love-feast."  Such  labors  would  have  been 
abundant  for  a  well  man,  but  Asbury  often  preached 


160  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

while  laboring  under  various  forms  of  disease.  Such 
were  the  necessities  of  the  case  that  "  his  zeal  con 
sumed  him."  The  society  in  New  York  had  in 
creased  in  numbers  and  in  grace  since  his  last 
visit,  and  the  congregations  were  also  much  larger. 
Again  was  he  refreshed  in  spirit,  and  comforted  by 
the  liberality  of  the  New  York  Methodists  in  supply 
ing  his  temporal  wants.  The  next  Sabbath  we  find 
him  at  a  quarterly  meeting  on  Morris  river.  In  this 
neighborhood  he  purchased  what  he  called  his  first 
wagon,  for  which  he  gave  forty  pounds,  but  antici 
pated  trouble  in  traveling  and  getting  horses. 

While  the  writer  was  stationed  in  Marietta  in 
1838,  he  visited  a  friend  on  Duck  Creek,  in  Wash 
ington  County,  who  took  him  into  his  yard  and  ex 
hibited  some  of  the  remains  of  Asbury's  "last 
wagon."  Though  he  is  no  worshiper  of  relics,  such 
was  his  respect  and  reverence  for  the  pioneer  bishop 
of  Methodism,  that  he  asked  for  and  obtained  a  por 
tion  of  this  wagon  from  which  he  had  a  cane  manu 
factured.  This  carriage  had  borne  the  bishop  around 
the  continent  again  and  again,  but  here  it  reached 
the  end  of  its  journey,  and  "  its  weary  wheels  at  last 
stood  still."  What  a  biography  could  be  written 
of  that  wagon  !  How  precious  has  been  its  freight ! 
what  adventures,  incidents,  and  accidents  could  it 
relate !  Enough  to  fill  a  volume. 


FRANCIS    AS  BURY.  161 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

John  Dickins —  Description  of,  by  Asbury  —  Subscription  for  "Kings- 
wood  High  School  in  America"  —  Claims  of,  presented  by  Asbury  — 
Dr.  Coke's  Sympathy  with  the  Enterprise  —  Suggests  the  Propriety  of 
founding  a  College  —  Adopted  by  the  Conference  —  Plan  drawn  up  ac 
cordingly  —  Eules  and  Eegulations  —  Abingdon  selected  as  the  Site  — 
Beauty  of  Situation  —  Laying  the  Corner-Stone  of  Cokesbury  College 

—  Asbnry's  Sermon  on  the  Occasion  —  Dedication  —  An  ominous  Text 

—  First  Faculty  of  the  College  —  Eules  and  Eegulations  —  Asbury  and 
College  Finances  —  Its  Management  a  source  of  great  Anxiety  —  Its  His 
tory —  Destruction  by  Fire  —  The  Subject  of  Rebuilding  agitated  by 
Dr.  Coke  —  A  Building  suited  to  the  Purpose  purchased  in  Baltimore 

—  College  reopened  —  Faculty  —  Eegulations  and  Course  of  Study  — 
Destroyed   by  Fire  —  School  for  Charity  Boys   in   Georgia  —  Bethel 
Academy  —  Seminary  in  New  York  —  Progress  of  Education  in  the 
Church — Eemarks  of  Hon.  Edward  Everett. 

THE  name  of  John  Dickins  is  early  associated  with 
education  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  While 
Asbury  was  traveling  in  North  Carolina  in  the  spring 
of  1780,  Dickins  was  his  companion.  He  occasion 
ally  preached,  but  labored  under  a  bronchial  affec 
tion  to  such  an  extent  that  he  almost  entirely  lost  his 
voice.  In  describing  him  Asbury  says :  "  He  is  a 
man  of  great  piety,  but  he  reasons  too  much.  He 
has  great  skill  in  learning,  drinks  in  Greek  and  Latin 
swiftly,  yet  prays  much  and  walks  close  with  God. 
He  is  a  gloomy  countryman  of  mine,  and  very  diffi 
dent  of  himself."  At  this  time  Dickins  drew  up  a 
subscription  for  what  Asbury  called  "  a  Kirigswood 

11 


162  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

School  in  America,"  and  which  he  "hoped  would  be 
for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  thousands." 
Thus  the  first  movement  toward  education  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  took  its  origin  in  the 
minds  of  Asbury  and  Dickins  upward  of  seventy 
years  ago.  The  mind  of  Asbury  became  wholly  ab 
sorbed  in  the  enterprise,  and  in  his  intercourse  with 
the  people  and  preachers  in  different  parts  of  the 
country  he  urged  its  importance  and  presented  its 
claims.  As  soon  as  he  met  Dr.  Coke,  after  his  arri 
val  in  this  country,  he  made  him  acquainted  with  his 
plans.  With  the  doctor,  of  course,  the  views  and 
purposes  of  Asbury  found  sympathy.  The  design 
of  Asbury  was,  however,  simply  the  founding  of  a 
school  similar  to  that  of  Kingswood,  the  idea  of  an 
institution  having  collegiate  powers  never  having 
entered  his  mind. 

When  the  subject  was  brought  before  the  Confer 
ence,  in  1785,  Dr.  Coke  advocated  the  propriety  of 
founding  a  college,  and  succeeded  in  securing  the 
adoption  of  a  resolution  favoring  that  view,  and  pro 
viding  the  incipient  measures  for  the  establishment 
of  such  an  institution. 

After  due  consultation  and  deliberation  the  site 
for  the  college  was  selected  in  the  town  of  Abing- 
don,  about  twenty-five  miles  distant  from  the  city  of 
Baltimore.  The  spot  commanded  a  magnificent 
view,  extending  for  twenty  and  even  fifty  miles 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  163 

The  valley  of  the  Susquehanna  spread  out  in 
beauty  on  either  side  of  the  river,  forming  a  most 
charming  landscape.  In  the  distance  was  to  be  seen 
the  broad  and  beautiful  bay  of  the  Chesapeake, 
stretching  away  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  The 
eminence  upon  which  it  was  proposed  to  erect  the 
college  buildings  seemed  to  have  been  formed  by 
the  God  of  nature  as  a  place  for  the  erection  of  a 
temple  of  science. 

Through  the  labors  of  Coke  and  Asbury  nearly 
five  thousand  dollars  had  been  raised  by  donations 
and  subscriptions  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  the 
buildings ;  and  at  length  the  workmen  laid  out  the 
grounds,  and  commenced  laying  the  foundation  of 
an  edifice  one  hundred  and  eight  feet  in  length  and 
forty  in  breadth.  On  Sabbath,  the  fifth  day  of  June, 
1785,  a  large  concourse  of  people  were  assembled  on 
the  eminence  to  witness  the  ceremonies  connected 
with  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  Cokesbury 
College,  for  such  was  the  name  given  it  by  the  Con 
ference  in  honor  of  its  founders.  Asbury  had  been 
selected  as  the  speaker  for  the  occasion.  Attired  in 
his  long  silk  gown,  and  with  his  flowing  bands,  the 
pioneer  bishop  of  America  took  his  position  on  the 
walls  of  the  college  and  announced  for  his  text  the 
following :  "  The  sayings  which  we  have  heard  and 
known,  and  our  fathers  have  told  us.  We  will 
not  hide  them  from  their  children,  showing  to  the 


164  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

generation  to  come  the  praises  of  the  Lord,  and  his 
strength,  and  his  wonderful  works  that  he  hath  done. 
For  he  established  a  testimony  in  Jacob,  and  ap 
pointed  a  law  in  Israel,  which  he  commanded  our 
fathers,  that  they  should  make  them  known  to  their 
children :  that  the  generation  to  come  might  know 
them,  even  the  children  which  should  be  born:  wrho 
should  arise  and  declare  them  to  their  children :  that 
they  might  set  their  hope  in  God,  and  not  forget  the 
works  of  God,  but  keep  his  commandments."  The 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  was  with  him  as  with  Elijah  at  the 
school  of  the  prophets  at  Bethel.  As  he  dwelt 
upon  the  importance  of  a  thorough  religious  educa 
tion,  and  looked  forward  to  the  effects  which  would 
result  to  the  generations  to  come  from  the  streams 
which  should  spring  from  this  opening  fountain  of 
sanctified  learning,  his  soul  enlarged  and  swelled 
with  rapturous  emotion. 

The  work  thus  auspiciously  begun  was  carried  for 
ward  to  a  successful  completion,  and  those  who  wit 
nessed  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  also  witnessed 
the  raising  of  the  capstone  to  its  place  with  the 
shouts  of  triumphant  success.  On  the  8th,  9th,  and 
10th  days  of  December,  1787,  the  college  was  opened 
by  religious  exercises,  Bishop  Asbury  preaching  each 
day  in  the  college  building.  The  dedication  sermon 
proper  was  preached  on  Sabbath  from  those  singular, 
and  what  afterward  proved  to  be  ominous  words, 


FRANCIS   ASBUEY.  165 

and  it  would  seem  premonitory  of  the  fate  of  the  col 
lege  :  "  0  man  of  God,  there  is  death  in  the  pot." 
The  institution  began  with  twenty-five  students.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Heath  was  called  to  the  presidency  of  the 
college,  arid  his  assistants  in  the  faculty  were  Jacob 
Hall,  A.  M.,  Patrick  M'Closkey,  and  Charles  Tite. 

A  plan  of  education  was  adopted  embracing  not 
only  a  course  of  study,  but  rules  and  regulations  for 
the  internal  arrangement  which,  though  they  might 
be  regarded  as  somewhat  singular  at  the  present  day, 
are  worthy  of  consideration,  and  some  of  which  might 
be  wisely  adopted  by  our  colleges.  The  design  of 
the  institution  was  to  educate  the  sons  of  the  elders 
and  preachers  of  the  Methodist  Church,  as  well  as 
poor  orphans,  and  the  sons  of  its  patrons  and  other 
friends,  the  latter  of  whom  were  expected  to  pay  a 
"moderate  sum  for  tuition  and  board,"  while  the 
former  were  to  be  educated,  boarded,  and  clothed 
gratuitously.  It  was  also  designed  for  the  benefit  of 
young  men  who  were  called  to  preach,  in  furnishing 
them  facilities  for  prosecuting  a  course  of  study  pre 
paratory  to  their  entering  upon  the  work  of  the  min 
istry.  From  the  Life  of  Valentine  Cook,  written  by 
Dr.  Stevenson,  and  recently  published,  it  appears  that 
this  early  pioneer  of  the  West  and  South,  whose  fer 
vid  eloquence  startled  many  a  sinner  in  his  career 
of  wickedness,  and  whose  persuasive  power  brought 
many  a  wanderer  to  the  fold,  was  instructed  here. 


166  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

Bishop  Asbury  was  ex  officio  president  of  the  college, 
and  we  may  claim  for  him  the  honor  of  being  the  first 
president  of  a  Methodist  college  in  America,  as  well 
as  the  pioneer  bishop  of  the  Church.  In  regard  to 
the  Church,  it  may  be  said  no  man  ever  lived  who 
projected  himself  further  into  the  future  of  all  that 
pertains  to  her  genius,  government,  and  institutions 
than  did  Asbury. 

But  to  return  to  the  college.  The  course  of  study 
embraced  the  various  English  branches,  the  Latin 
and  Greek  languages,  together  with  Hebrew,  Ger 
man,  arid  French,  a  curriculum  whose  scope  is  not 
excelled  by  any  of  our  institutions  of  the  present  day. 
Founded  as  it  was  in  religion,  and  designed  to  be 
the  alma  mater  of  a  correct  faith  as  well  as  sound 
morals,  the  most  careful  provision  was  made  for 
securing  these  ends.  Hence  we  find  the  following 
in  the  published  plan : 

"  Our  first  object  shall  be  to  answer  the  design  of 
Christian  education,  by  forming  the  minds  of  the 
youth,  through  divine  aid,  to  wisdom  and  holiness, 
by  instilling  into  their  tender  minds  the  principles 
of  true  religion,  speculative,  experimental,  and  prac 
tical,  and  training  them  in  the  ancient  way,  that  they 
may  be  rational,  Scriptural  Christians.  For  this  pur 
pose  we  shall  expect  and  enjoin  it,  not  only  on  the 
president  and  tutors,  but  also  upon  our  elders,  dea 
cons,  and  preachers,  to  embrace  every  opportunity 


FRANCIS    ASBUBY.  16 7 

of  instructing  the  students  in  the  great  branches  of 
the  Christian  religion. 

"  And  this  is  one  principal  reason  why  we  do  not 
admit  students  indiscriminately  into  our  college,  for 
we  are  persuaded  that  the  promiscuous  admission  of 
all  sorts  of  youth  into  a  seminary  of  learning  is  preg 
nant  with  many  bad  consequences.  Nor  are  the 
students  likely  (suppose  they  possessed  it)  to  retain 
much  religion  in  a  college  where  all  that  offer  are 
admitted,  however  corrupted  already  in  principle  as 
well  as  in  practice  1  And  what  wonder,  when  (as 
too  frequently  it  happens)  the  parents  themselves 
have  no  more  religion  than  their  offspring." 

"Who  has  not  been  struck  with  the  wisdom  of  the 
founders  of  this  college  in  their  regulations  in  regard 
to  the  study  of  the  classics,  a  wisdom  which  has  since 
been  acted  upon  in  furnishing  expurgated  editions  of 
the  classics  for  our  colleges.  The  whole  plan  shows 
conclusively  that  they  were  far  in  advance  of  the 
age  in  which  they  lived.  In  regard  to  this  subject 
the  plan  says : 

"  In  teaching  the  languages  care  shall  be  taken  to 
read  those  authors,  and  those  only,  who  join  together 
the  purity,  the  strength,  and  the  elegance  of  their  sev 
eral  tongues.  And  the  utmost  caution  shall  be  used 
that  nothing  immodest  be  found  in  any  of  our  books. 

"  But  this  is  not  all.  We  shall  take  care  that  our 
books  be  not  only  inoffensive  but  useful ;  that  they 


168  LIFE   AND   TIMES    OF 

contain  as  much  strong  sense  and  as  much  genuine 
morality  as  possible.  As  far,  therefore,  as  is  consist 
ent  with  the  foregoing  observations,  a  choice  and 
universal  library  shall  be  provided  for  the  use  of  the 
students." 

For  the  recreation  of  the  students  they  say :  "  The 
employments  which  we  have  chosen  are  such  as  are 
of  the  greatest  public  utility,  agriculture  and  archi 
tecture — studies  more  especially  necessary  for  a  new 
settled' country ;  and  of  consequence  the  instructing 
of  our  youth  in  all  the  practical  branches  of  those 
important  arts  will  be  an  effectual  method  of  render 
ing  them  more  useful  to  their  country.  Agreeably 
to  this  idea,  the  greatest  statesman  that  perhaps  ever 
shone  in  the  annals  of  history,  Peter,  the  Russian 
emperor,  who  was  deservedly  styled  the  Great,  dis 
dained  not  to  stoop  to  the  employment  of  a  ship  car 
penter.  Nor  was  it  rare,  during  the  purest  times  of 
the  Roman  republic,  to  see  the  conquerors  of  nations 
and  deliverers  of  their  country  return  with  all  sim 
plicity  and  cheerfulness  to  the  exercise  of  the  plow. 
In  conformity  to  this  sentiment,  one  of  the  completest 
poetic  pieces  of  antiquity  (the  Georgics  of  Yirgil)  is 
written  on  the  subject  of  husbandry." 

The  rules  for  the  government  of  the  students  in 
regard  to  time  of  rising,  hours  of  study,  recreation, 
and  religious  services,  were  of  the  most  wholesome, 
disciplinary  character. 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  169 

The  financial  business  of  the  college,  embracing  the 
raising  of  funds  and  their  disbursement,  as  well  as 
the  business  of  the  Book  Concern,  and  the  raising  of 
funds  for  the  support  of  western  missionaries,  all  fell 
upon  Asbury.  His  self-sacrificing  devotion  to  the 
interests  of  the  Church  was  of  the  purest  and  intensest 
character.  His  salary  was  only  sixty-four  dollars  a 
year  and  traveling  expenses,  about  as  much  as  one  of 
our  city  preachers  at  the  present  day  would  get  for 
delivering  a  lecture  in  an  adjoining  town.  Often  have 
the  clothes  of  Asbury  been  worn  threadbare  and 
become  shabby  in  appearance,  and  he  obliged  to  de 
prive  himself  of  some  of  the  comforts  of  life ;  but 
uncomplainingly,  unless  in  behalf  of  his  poor  preach 
ers,  he  went  on  his  way,  living  not  for  himself,  but 
consecrating  all  to  God  and  the  Church. 

The  college  was  to  Asbury  a  source  of  constant 
anxiety,  and  sometimes  gave  him  trouble.  In  1Y88 
the  following  was  entered  in  his  Journal :  "  I  have 
received  heavy  tidings  from  the  college ;  both  our 
teachers  have  left,  one  for  incompetency,  and  the  other 
to  pursue  riches  and  honor.  Had  they  cost  us  noth 
ing,  the  mistake  we  made  in  employing  them  might 
be  the  less  regretted." 

Cokesbury  College  had  been  in  existence  a  period 
of  ten  years,  and  had  gained  the  sympathy  and  confi 
dence  of  the  Church  in  all  parts  of  the  country.  It 
was  watched  over  by  Asbury  with  the  care  and  solic- 


170  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

itude  with  which  a  father  would  watch  over  an  only 
child.  But  alas !  like  many  a  bright  and  beautiful  ob 
ject  of  hope  and  promise,  it  was  doomed  to  an  early 
grave.  The  sad  intelligence  came  to  Asbury's  ears  one 
morning  that  the  beloved  Cokesbury  was  no  more.  A 
heap  of  smoldering  ruins  was  all  that  marked  the 
lovely  site  where  it  reared  its  walls.  To  none  were 
the  tidings  of  its  sad  fate  more  melancholy  than  to  him 
who  was  in  the  most  emphatic  sense  its  founder,  and 
the  labors  of  whose  head  and  hands  and  heart  were 
constantly  devoted  to  its  support.  The  following 
entry  is  made  in  his  Journal:  "Charleston,  South  Car 
olina,  Tuesday,  January  the  5th,  1796.  Continued 
our  business  in  Conference.  We  have  great  peace 
and  love,  see  eye  to  eye  and  heart  to  heart.  We  have 
now  a  second  and  confirmed  account  that  Cokesbury 
College  is  consumed  to  ashes,  a  sacrifice  of  £10,000 
in  about  ten  years.  If  any  man  should  give  me 
£10,000  per  year  to  do  and  suffer  again  what  I 
have  done  for  that  house,  I  would  not  do  it.  The 
Lord  called  not  Mr.  Whitefield  nor  the  Methodists  to 
build  colleges.  I  wished  only  for  schools — Dr.  Coke 
wanted  a  college.  I  feel  distressed  at  the  loss  of  the 
library."  Though  Asbury  was  entirely  discouraged, 
looking  upon  this  calamity  as  an  indication  of  Provi 
dence,  that  if  the  Methodists  were  to  engage  in  the 
work  of  collegiate  education  the  present  was  not  the 
time  for  embarking  in  that  enterprise,  it  was  not  so 


FRANCIS    ASBURY. 

with  Dr.  Coke.  He  immediately  agitated  the  subject 
of  rebuilding,  and  obtained  from  the  citizens  of  Ab- 
ingdon  a  liberal  subscription  for  that  purpose.  A 
number  of  friends  in  Baltimore,  after  consulting  to 
gether,  also  gave  a  subscription  amounting  to  between 
four  and  five  thousand  dollars.  It  was  subsequently 
ascertained  that  a  building  every  way  suited  to  the 
purpose  could  be  obtained  in  Baltimore  for  the  sum 
of  twenty-two  thousand  dollars,  and  after  due  delibe 
ration  the  purchase  was  made. 

As  there  was  a  considerable  lot  of  ground  in  con 
nection  with  the  building,  it  was  determined  to  erect 
a  church  thereon,  which  was  accordingly  done.  In 
due  course  of  time  the  college  was  opened  under  the 
most  favorable  auspices.  The  friends  of  education 
in  the  Methodist  Church  were  greatly  encouraged 
by  a  prospect  of  success  even  more  promising  than 
that  connected  with  the  commencement  of  the 
original  Cokesbury. 

It  was  not  long,  however,  that  Asbury  College  was 
permitted  to  stand.  The  fate  that  attended  Cokes- 
bury  seemed  to  hang  over  it,  and  like  that  institution 
it  was  consumed  by  fire.  Though  these  successive 
cross  dispensations  suspended  for  a  while  the  efforts 
of  the  Church  in  the  cause  of  education,  it  was  only  a 
suspension.  In  Asbury 's  Journal  for  1789  we  find  the 
following  entry  in  regard  to  a  Methodist  school  in 


LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

Georgia:  "  The  school  for  the  charity  boys  in  Georgia 
greatly  occupies  my  mind.  Our  annual  expenditures 
will  amount  to  one  thousand  dollars,  and  the  aid 
we  get  is  but  trifling;  the  poverty  of  the  people, 
and  the  general  scarcity  of  money,  is  the  great 
source  of  our  difficulties ;  the  support  of  our  preach 
ers  who  have  families  absorbs  our  collections,  so 
that  neither  do  our  elders  nor  the  charity  school 
get  much.  We  have  the  poor,  but  they  have  no 
money,  and  the  wicked  rich  we  do  not  choose 
to  ask."  The  Conference  appointed  a  committee 
to  procure  five  hundred  acres  of  land  for  the 
establishment  of  this  school. 

In  1T90,  during  Asbury's  visit  to  the  West,  he 
originated  the  plan  of  an  academy,  which  was  de 
nominated  The  Bethel  Academy.  A  gentleman  by 
the  name  of  Lewis  made  a  donation  of  one  hundred 
acres  of  land.  A  spacious  building  was  erected, 
eighty  by  forty  feet,  and  three  stories  high.  The 
design  was  to  accommodate  the  students  in  the  house 
with  boarding,  etc.  The  first  and  second  stories  were 
principally  finished,  and  a  spacious  hall  in  the  center. 
The  building  of  this  house  rendered  the  pecuniary 
means  of  the  preachers  very  uncertain,  for  they 
were  continually  employed  in  begging  for  Bethel. 
The  people  were  very  liberal,  but  they  could  not  do 
more  than  they  did.  The  country  was  new,  and 
the  unsettled  state  of  the  people,  in  consequence 


FEANCIS    ASBURY.  173 

of  the  Indian  wars  and  depredations,  kept  it  in  a 
continual  state  of  agitation.  The  Legislature  at 
an  early  period  made  a  donation  of  six  thousand 
acres  of  land  to  Bethel  Academy.  The  land  was 
located  in  Christian  county,  south  of  Green  River ; 
it  remained  a  long  time  unproductive,  and  proved 
rather  a  bill  of  expense  than  otherwise. 

In  the  Methodist  Magazine  for  1819  we  find  an  in 
teresting  description  of  a  seminary  of  learning  in 
New  York,  under  the  patronage  of  the  New  York 
Conference.  This  institution  was  divided  into  male 
and  female  departments,  and  the  course  of  study  em 
braced  not  only  the  English  branches,  but  the  ancient 
classics.  Mr.  N.  Morris  was  president,  and  Miss 
Caroline  Matilda  Thayer  preceptress  of  the  female 
department.  The  Conference  visitor  reported  the  in 
stitution  as  in  a  high  state  of  prosperity.  We  cannot 
trace  the  history  of  this  seminary,  as  we  have  not  the 
necessary  items  of  information.  Since  that  time 
seminaries  and  colleges  have  sprung  up  under  Meth 
odist  patronage  in  all  parts  of  the  land,  from  Maine 
to  Texas,  on  the  shores  of  the  Pacific,  among  the  In 
dians,  and  also  in  South  America  and  Africa,  and,  in 
the  language  of  Edward  Everett,  there  is  no  Church 
in  the  country  so  successfully  engaged  in  the  cause  of 
education  as  the  Methodist  Church,  nor  one  that  dur 
ing  the  last  twenty-five  years  has  done  more  for  the 
advancement  of  the  cause. 


174  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Dismal  Swamp  —  Perilous  Journey  —  Meets  Dr.  Coke  at  Charleston  — 
Conference  —  Preaching  —  Asbury's  Travels — Description  of  Dr.  Coke's 
Sermon  at  New  York  —  Hempstead  Harbor  — Preaches  in  a  Paper-Mill 
—  Keturns  to  New  York  —  Trouble  in  the  Church  about  Congregational 
Singing  —  Journey  up  the  Hudson  —  Description  of  West  Point— New- 
burgh— Bath —  Delivers  a  Course  of  Lectures  on  the  Prophecies  — 
Dejection  of  Mind  —  First  Ordination  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  —  As 
bury  in  Gown  and  Bands  —  Rearranges  the  Discipline  —  When  First 
Edition  was  printed  —  New  Edition  —  Questions  and  Answers  omitted — 
Revised  Edition  —  Fifth  Edition  —  New  Sections  —  Notes  on  the  Disci 
pline —  General  Conference  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  1788  — 
Georgia  —  Crossing  the  Mountains  —  Hard  Fare  —  A  stubborn  Horse  — 
An  Incident  — Character  of  Early  Settlers  —  Letter  to  a  Quaker  in  Del 
aware  —  Tour  to  the  Western  Wilderness  —  Horses  stolen  by  Indians  — 
Perils  of  the  Journey  —  Conference  in  Lexington  —  Return  through  the 
Wilderness  — Conference  at  Petereburgh  — Bishop's  Council  —  Threat 
ening  Letter  from  O'Kelly  — Asbury's  Reply  —  Asbury  vindicates 
himself — Jesse  Lee  in  New  England  —  His  Character  —  First  Sermon 
in  Boston  —  Letter  to  Asbury  —  Letter  from  Poythress. 

ON  his  round  in  1787  Asbury  was  not  a  little 
startled  and  his  courage  put  to  the  test  by  being  in 
formed  by  Poythress  that  the  great  Dismal  Swamp, 
which  lay  directly  in  his  path,  could  not  be  crossed 
but  with  great  danger.  To  travel  round  it  would  re 
quire  a  ride  of  sixty  miles.  For  this  he  had  not 
time,  and  he  resolved  to  trust  in  God  and  push 
through,  and  with  a  courage  which  never  failed  him 
he  entered  the  dismal  waters.  He  was  everywhere 
surrounded  with  a  wide  sweep  of  waters  and  deep 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  175 

morasses.  "O,"  exclaimed  the  pioneer  bishop,  "what 
a  world  of  swamps,  and  rivers,  and  islands  !"  After 
he  had  passed  the  swamp  he  writes :  "Three  miles  on 
the  water  arid  three  more  on  roads  under  water  made 
our  jaunt  unpleasant." 

Meeting  Dr.  Coke  at  Charleston,  his  spirit  was  re 
freshed.  On  the  25th  of  March  the  Conference  for  the 
South  commenced  its  session.  On  Sabbath  morning 
he  preached  from  the  text,  "  I  had  rather  be  a  door 
keeper  in  the  house  of  God  than  to  dwell  in  the 
tents  of  wickedness."  In  the  evening  he  preached 
from  the  passage,  "  For  I  will  rise  up  against  them, 
saitli  the  Lord  of  hosts,  and  cut  off  from  Babylon 
the  name  and  remnant,  and  son  and  nephew,  saith 
the  Lord."  During  the  business  of  Conference  all 
matters  pertaining  to  the  temporal  and  spiritual  in 
terests  of  the  Church  were  fully  and  freely  discussed. 
On  Wednesday  Dr.  Coke  preached  a  sermon  on  the 
qualifications  and  duties  of  deacons.  On  the  suc 
ceeding  day  the  appointments  were  announced  and 
the  Conference  closed. 

We  find  the  tireless  Asbury  frequently  riding 
thirty  and  forty  and  sometimes  fifty  miles  a  day, 
and  preaching  once  or  twice,  often  swimming 
the  rivers,  and  exposed  to  all  kinds  of  hardships. 
From  Saturday  to  Saturday  he  and  Dr.  Coke  rode 
three  hundred  miles  and  preached  alternately  every 
day.  On  his  return  from  the  South,  taking  Balti- 


176  LIFE   AND   TIMES    OF 

more  and  Philadelphia  in  his  route  as  usual,  he 
arrived  at  New  York.  Of  Dr.  Coke  Asbury  says: 
"  He  preached  on  Friday,  Saturday,  Sunday,  and 
Monday  with  great  energy  and  acceptance."  On 
Tuesday  he  himself  preached  from  the  text,  "For 
Zion's  sake  I  will  not  hold  my  peace,  and  for  Jeru 
salem's  sake  I  will  not  rest  until  her  righteousness  go 
forth  as  brightness,  and  the  salvation  thereof  as  a 
lamp  that  burneth."  From  New  York  he  crossed 
over  to  Long  Island,  and  rode  twenty  miles  to  Hemp- 
stead  Harbor,  where  he  preached  in  the  evening. 
The  next  day  he  preached  in  the  paper-mill  from  the 
text,  "  If  any  man  will  do  his  will,  he  shall  know  the 
doctrine  whether  it  be  of  God."  On  Monday  he  re 
turned  to  New  York,  and  preached  in  the  evening 
from,  "  They  shall  come  from  the  East,  and  from  the 
West,  and  from  the  North,  and  from  the  South,  and 
sit  down  with  Abraham  and  Isaac  and  Jacob,"  etc. 
His  division  was  as  follows :  "  1.  A  Scriptural  view 
of  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  2.  The  subjects  or 
citizens  thereof.  3.  Sit  down  with  Abraham,  fa 
mous  for  faith;  Isaac,  for  justice,  truth,  medita 
tion,  and  walking  with  God ;  and  Jacob,  mighty 
in  prayer." 

This  visit  was  during  a  time  of  trouble  in  the 
Church,  and  occasioned  a  great  trial  to  Asbury,  who 
spent  half  the  night  in  prayer  for  patience  and  resig 
nation.  Even  at  that  early  day,  as  we  find  from 


FilANCIS    ASJ3UKY.  177 

Asbury's  Journal,  the  Methodists  had  trouble  about 
congregational  singing.  This  has  been  a  fruit 
ful  theme  of  difficulty  and  often  of  discord  in  the 
Church  from  the  beginning,  and  is  likely  to  remain 
so  until,  as  with  the  Germans,  singing  becomes  a 
part  of  our  education,  and  all  our  members  learn 
and  love  to  sing.  Until  this  is  the  case,  all  eiforts  to 
bring  about  congregational  singing  will  prove  to  a 
great  extent  abortive.  Tune  hymn-books  may  be 
multiplied  like  the  leaves  of  the  summer  forest,  but 
they  will  fall  as  a  dead  letter  without  the  knowledge 
and  the  love  of  song. 

From  New  York  he  went  up  the  Hudson,  preach 
ing  at  different  points  on  his  route.  Saturday,  the 
16th  of  June,  1787,  he  crossed  the  mountains, 
and,  to  use  his  own  language,  "  was  gratified  with 
the  sight  of  a  remarkable  recess  for  the  Americans 
during  the  last  war.  The  names  of  Andre  and 
Arnold,  with  which  misfortune  and  treachery  are  so 
unhappily  and  intimately  blended,  will  give  celeb 
rity  to  West  Point  had  it  been  less  deserving  of 
notice  than  its  wonderful  appearance  really  makes  it. 
It  is  commanded  by  mountains  rising  behind,  and 
appears  to  be  impregnable.  On  the  east  are  block 
houses,  and  on  the  west  are  stores,  barracks,  and 
fortifications."  From  West  Point  he  crossed  what 
he  calls  a  high  mountain,  (Storm  King,)  and  went  to 
Newburgh.  Four  weeks  from  this  time  we  find  him, 

12 


178  LIFE   AND   TIMES    OF 

after  traveling  through  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania, 
and  Virginia,  at  his  favorite  retreat,  Bath.  He 
visited  the  springs  at  this  place  for  the  purpose  of 
availing  himself  of  the  medicinal  virtue  of  the  waters. 
During  his  stay  there  he  delivered  a  course  of  lect 
ures  on  the  prophecies. 

Asbury  was  subject  at  times  to  great  dejection  of 
mind,  and  his  spirit  would  often  sink  within  him. 
He  rarely  had  much  elevation  of  feeling,  and  though 
he  frequently  preached  with  ease  and  comfort  to 
himself,  and  had  occasionally  considerable  liberty, 
yet  his  seasons  of  gloom,  especially  after  preaching, 
were  sometimes  terrific.  On  one  occasion,  at  Bath, 
he  became  completely  discouraged  at  the  indiffer 
ence  of  the  people,  and  entered  the  following  in  his 
Journal :  "  I  had  few  to  hear  me,  so  I  gave  them  up. 
I  will  return  to  my  own  studies.  If  the  people  are 
determined  to  go  to  hell,  I  am  clear  of  their  blood." 
Notwithstanding  all  this,  there  were  occasions  when 
he  enjoyed  remarkable  manifestations.  Once,  while 
preaching  at  Burton's,  in  Yirginia,  from  the  text, 
"  Behold  what  manner  of  love  the  Father  hath  be 
stowed  upon  us  that  we  should  be  called  the  sons  of 
God,"  he  says :  "  It  seems  as  if  I  was  let  into  heaven 
while  enlarging  upon  this  passage." 

At  the  annual  Conference  held  in  Uniontown, 
Pennsylvania,  in  178T,  the  first  ordination  took  place 
in  the  great  valley  of  the  Mississippi.  The  solemn 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  1*79 

and  impressive  ceremonies  connected  with  the  rite 
of  ordination  had  never  been  witnessed  before  in 
that  vast  region  extending  from  the  Alleghanies  to 
the  Father  of  Waters.  One  of  the  pioneer  preachers, 
then  but  a  mere  youth,  thus  describes  the  scene : 
"  Mr.  Asbury  officiated,  not  in  the  costume  of  the 
lawn-robed  prelate,  but  as  the  plain  presbyter  in 
gown  and  band,  assisted  by  Richard  Whatcoat,  elder, 
in  the  same  clerical  habit.  The  person  ordained  was 
Michael  Lord,  of  whom  it  was  said  that  he  could  re 
peat  nearly  the  whole  of  the  New  Testament  from 
memory,  and  also  large  portions  of  the  Old.  The 
scenes  of  that  day  looked  well  in  the  eyes  of  the 
Church  people,  for  not  only  did  the  preachers  appear 
in  sacerdotal  robes,  but  the  morning  service  was  read 
as  abridged  by  Mr.  Wesley.  The  priestly  robes  and 
prayer-book  were,  however,  soon  laid  aside  at  the 
same  time,  for  I  never  saw  the  one  nor  heard  the 
other  since."  The  presumption  is,  as  we  have  no 
data  from  which  to  form  an  opinion,  that  the  period 
of  robes  and  reading  prayers  extended  from  the  time 
of  Asbury's  ordination  to  the  episcopacy  until  the 
year  1787  or  1788. 

About  this  time  Asbury  set  himself  to  work  to  re 
arrange  the  Discipline,  and  reduce  it  to  a  more  sys 
tematic  form.  The  first  edition  of  the  Discipline  was 
printed  in  Philadelphia  in  1785,  and  is  found  bound 
up  with  the  "Sunday  Service  and  the  Collection  of 


180  LIFE    AND   TIMES    OF 

Psalms  and  Hymns,"  which  had  been  sent  over  to 
America  in  sheets.  In  1786  a  new  edition  of  the 
whole  was^printed  in  London.  In  this  the  following 
questions,  contained  in  the  first  edition,  with  their  an 
swers,  are  omitted : 

"  Question  23.  May  our  ministers  or  traveling 
preachers  drink  spirituous  liquors  ? 

"Answer.  By  no  means,  unless  it  be  medicinally. 

"  Question  42.  What  methods  can  we  take  to  ex 
tirpate  slavery? 

"Answer.  We  are  deeply  conscious  of  the  impro 
priety  of  making  new  terms  of  communion  for  a  re 
ligious  society  already  established,  excepting  on  the 
most  pressing  occasion,  and  such  we  esteem  the 
practice  of  holding  our  fellow-creatures  in  slavery. 
We  view  it  as  contrary  to  the  golden  law  of  God,  on 
which  hang  all  the  law  and  the  prophets,  and  the 
unalienable  rights  of  mankind,  as  well  as  every 
principle  of  the  Revolution,  to  hold  in  the  deep 
est  debasement,  in  a  more  abject  slavery  than  is  per 
haps  to  be  found  in  any  part  of  the  world  except 
America,  so  many  souls  that  are  all  capable  of  the 
image  of  God. 

"  We  therefore  think  it  our  most  bounden  duty  to 
take  immediately  some  effectual  method  to  extirpate 
this  abomination  from  among  us,  and  for  that  pur 
pose  we  add  the  following  to  the  rules  of  our  society, 
namely : 


FRANCIS    ASBUKY.  181 

"  1.  Every  member  of  our  society  who  has  slaves 
in  his  possession,  shall,  within  twelve  months  after 
notice  given  to  him  by  the  assistant,  (which  notice 
the  assistants  are  required  immediately,  and  without 
any  delay,  to  give  in  their  respective  circuits,)  legally 
execute  and  record  an  instrument  whereby  he  eman 
cipates  and  sets  free  every  slave  in  his  possession 
who  is  between  the  ages  of  forty  and  forty-live  imme 
diately,  or  at  farthest  when  they  arrive  at  the  age  of 
forty-five. 

"And  every  slave  who  is  between  the  ages  of 
twenty-five  and  forty  immediately,  or  at  farthest 
at  the  expiration  of  five  years  from  the  date  of  the 
said  instrument. 

"And  every  slave  who  is  between  the  ages  of 
twenty  and  twenty-five  immediately,  or  at  farthest 
when  they  arrive  at  the  age  of  thirty. 

"  And  every  slave  under  the  age  of  twenty,  as  soon 
as  they  arrive  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  at  farthest. 

"  And  every  infant  born  in  slavery  after  the  above- 
mentioned  rules  are  complied  with,  immediately  on 
its  birth. 

"  2.  Every  assistant  shall  keep  a  journal,  in  which 
he  shall  regularly  minute  down  the  names  and  ages 
of  all  the  slaves  belonging  to  all  the  masters  in  his 
respective  circuit,  and  also  the  date  of  every  instru 
ment  executed  and  recorded  for  the  manumission  of 
the  slaves,  with  the  name  of  the  court,  book,  and 


182  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

folio,  in  which  the  said  instruments  respectively 
shall  have  been  recorded :  which  journal  shall  be 
handed  down  in  each  circuit  to  the  succeeding 
assistants. 

"  3.  In  consideration  that  these  rules  form  a  new 
term  of  communion,  every  person  concerned,  who 
will  not  comply  with  them,  shall  have  liberty  quietly 
to  withdraw  himself  from  our  society  within  the 
twelve  months  succeeding  the  notice  given  as  afore 
said  :  otherwise  the  assistant  shall  exclude  him  in  the 
society. 

"  4.  No  person  so  voluntarily  withdrawn,  or  so  ex 
cluded,  shall  ever  partake  of  the  supper  of  the  Lord 
with  the  Methodists,  till  he  complies  with  the  above 
requisitions. 

"  5.  No  person  holding  slaves  shall,  in  future,  be 
admitted  into  society  or  to  the  Lord's  Supper,  till  he 
previously  complies  with  these  rules  concerning 
slavery. 

"N.  B.  These  rules  are  to  affect  the  members  of 
our  society  no  farther  than  as  they  are  consistent 
with  the  laws  of  the  states  in  which  they  reside. 

"  And  respecting  our  brethren  in  Virginia  that  are 
concerned,  and  after  due  consideration  of  their  pecu 
liar  circumstances,  we  allow  them  two  years  from  the 
notice  given,  to  consider  the  expediency  of  compli 
ance  or  non-compliance  with  these  rules." 

Questiqn  63  was  also  omitted.     It  reads  as  follows : 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  183 

"  Are  there  any  further  directions  needful  for  the 
preservation  of  good  order  among  the  preachers  ? 

"  Answer.  In  the  absence  of  a  superintendent,  a 
traveling  preacher  or  three  leaders  shall  have  power 
to  lodge  a  complaint  against  any  preacher  in  their 
circuit,  whether  elder,  assistant,  deacon,  or  helper, 
before  three  neighboring  assistants ;  who  shall  meet 
at  an  appointed  time,  (proper  notice  being  given  to 
the  parties,)  hear,  and  decide  the  case."  And  au 
thority  is  given  them  to  change  or  suspend  a 
preacher,  if  they  see  it  necessary,  and  to  appoint 
another  in  his  place,  during  the  absence  of  the  super 
intendents. 

Also  Question  64.  "If  there  happen  to  be  a  va 
cancy  in  a  circuit  by  the  death  of  a  preacher,  by  his 
withdrawing  himself  from  the  work,  or  otherwise,  in 
the  absence  of  a  superintendent,  who  are  to  fill  up 
the  vacancy  ? 

"  Answer.  Three  neighboring  assistants,  called  and 
assembled  according  to  the  preceding  minute." 

This  was  the  last  edition  of  the  Discipline  contain 
ing  the  Sunday  Service  with  the  Psalms  and  Hymns. 

Asbury,  assisted  by  Dickins,  in  the  year  1787,  as 
above-mentioned,  made  an  entire  revision  of  the  Dis 
cipline,  by  which  he  changed  its  form  materially. 
Up  to  this  time  it  was  made  up  wholly  of  question 
and  answer,  with  very  little  regard  to  method,  but  now 
it  was  divided  into  sections  under  appropriate  chap- 


184  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

ter  heads.  This  revised  edition  was  submitted  to  Dr. 
Coke  after  his  return  from  Europe,  and  meeting  his 
approval  it  was  sent  to  press.  Mr.  Wesley's  name 
was  left  out  of  this  edition  of  the  Discipline,  and  for 
the  first  time  the  term  bishop  was  employed  in  the 
place  of  superintendent.  No  changes  having  been 
made  the  succeeding  year  a  new  edition  was  not 
necessary,  but  in  the  year  1789  the  fifth  edition  ap 
peared.  It  seems,  however,  that  during  the  previous 
year  Asbury  had  been  employed  in  elaborating  two 
new  sections,  namely,  the  thirty-first  and  thirty-second. 
To  the  new  edition  an  address  by  the  bishops  was  pre 
fixed.  To  it  were  also  added  the  Articles  of  Religion 
and  certain  doctrinal  tracts.  These,  however,  were 
not  embodied,  but  printed  separate  and  apart  from 
the  form  of  Discipline.  It  was  not  until  1796  that 
Asbury  and  Coke,  in  compliance  with  a  resolution  of 
the  General  Conference,  prepared  notes  on  all  parts 
of  the  Discipline.  In  these  notes  everything  is 
proved  or  illustrated  by  appropriate  passages  of 
Scripture.  It  must  have  cost  great  labor,  and  the 
manner  in  which  the  work  was  accomplished  evinced 
a  biblical  research  and  a  logical  acumen  rarely 
surpassed.  It  may  be  said  with  great  truth  and  pro 
priety,  that  the  mind  of  Asbury  was  stamped  upon 
the  genius  and  institutions  of  American  Methodism 
as  effectually  as  was  that  of  "Wesley  upon  English 
Methodism.  From  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 


FRANCIS    ASBUKY.  185 

where  Conference  was  held  in  1788,  Asbury  pro 
ceeded  on  his  tour  to  Georgia,  where  another  Confer 
ence  was  to  be  held.  It  was  on  this  last  route  that 
he  compiled  the  two  sections  of  Discipline  above 
alluded  to.  After  attending  Conference  at  the  Forks 
of  Broad  River,  he  pursued  his  way  to  North  Carolina. 
The  hardships  he  encountered  in  this  journey  were 
great.  The  reader  may  form  some  idea  of  the 
bishop's  toils  from  the  following :  "  After  getting  our 
horses  shod  we  made  a  move  for  Holstein,  and  en 
tered  upon  the  mountains,  the  first  of  which  I  called 
Steel,  the  second  Stone,  and  the  third  Iron  mountain. 
They  ara  rough  and  difficult  to  climb.  We  were 
spoken  to  on  our  way  by  most  awful  thunder  and 
lightning,  accompanied  by  heavy  rain.  We  crept 
for  shelter  into  a  little  dirty  house,  wThere  the  filth 
might  have  been  taken  from  the  floor  with  a  spado. 
We  felt  the  want  of  fire,  but  could  get  little  wood  to 
make  it,  and  what  we  did  get  was  wet.  At  the  head 
of  Wautawga  we  fed,  and  reached  Ward's  that  night. 
Coming  to  the  river  next  day  we  hired  a  young  man 
to  swim  over  for  the  canoe,  in  which  we  crossed, 
while  our  horses  swam  to  the  other  shore.  The 
waters  being  up,  we  were  compelled  to  travel  an  old 
road  over  the  mountains.  Night  came  on.  I  was 
ready  to  faint  with  a  violent  headache,  the  mountain 
was  so  steep  on  both  sides.  I  prayed  to  the  Lord  for 
help.  Presently  a  profuse  sweat  broke  out  upon  me, 


186  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

and  my  fever  entirely  subsided.  About  nine  o'clock 
we  came  to  Grear's.  After  taking  a  little  rest  here 
we  set  out  next  morning  for  Cox's,  on  Holstein  River. 
I  had  trouble  enough.  Our  route  lay  through  the 
woods,  and  my  pack-horse  would  neither  follow,  lead, 
nor  drive,  so  fond  was  he  of  stopping  to  feed  on  the 
green  herbage.  I  tried  the  lead  and  he  pulled  back. 
I  tied  his  head  up  to  prevent  his  grazing  and  he  ran 
back.  As  the  weather  was  excessively  warm  I  was 
much  fatigued,  and  my  temper  not  a  little  tried. 
Arriving  at  the  river  I  was  at  a  loss  what  to  do,  but 
providentially  a  man  came  along  who  conducted  me 
across."  This,  adds  the  bishop,  "  has  been  an  awful 
journey  to  me,  and  this  a  tiresome  day  ;  and  now  after 
riding  seventy-five  miles  I  have  thirty-five  more  to 
travel  before  I  can  rest  a  day." 

After  this  journey  he  grieved  considerably,  on 
reviewing  it,  that  he  was  not  able  to  pray  more  on 
the  road.  The  toils  and  hardships  of  Asbury  in  trav 
eling  round  the  continent  can  never  be  fully  known. 
But  a  short  time  after  the  journey  above  described 
we  find  an  entry  in  his  Journal  of  another  quite  as 
full  of  incident.  He  says :  "  We  had  to  cross  the 
Alleghany  Mountains  again  at  a  bad  passage.  Our 
course  lay  over  mountains  and  through  valleys,  arid 
the  mud  and  mire  was  such  as  might  scarcely  be  ex 
pected  even  in  December.  We  came  to  an  old  for 
saken  habitation  in  Tygart's  Valley.  Here  our  horses 


FRANCIS    ASBUKY.  187 

grazed  about  while  we  boiled  our  meat.  Midnight 
brought  us  up  at  Jones's,  after  traveling  between 
forty  and  fifty  miles.  The  old  man — our  host — was 
kind  enough  to  wake  us  up  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing.  We  journeyed  on  through  devious  lonely  wilds, 
where  no  food  might  be  found  except  what  grew  in 
the  woods  or  was  carried  with  us.  We  met  two 
women,  who  were  going  to  see  their  friends,  and  to 
attend  the  quarterly  meeting  at  Clarksburg.  Near 

midnight  we  stopped  at  A 's,  who  hissed  his  dogs 

at  us  ;  but  the  women  were  determined  to  go  to  quar 
terly  meeting ;  so  we  journeyed  on.  Brothers  Phoe 
bus  and  Cook  took  to  the  woods ;  old gave  up 

his  bed  to  the  women  ;  I  lay  on  a  few  deer  skins  on 
the  floor.  That  night  our  poor  horses  got  no  corn, 
and  next  morning  they  had  to  swim  across  the  Mo- 
nongahela.  After  a  twenty  miles'  ride  we  came  to 
Clarksburg,  and  man  and  beast  were  so  outdone  that 
it  took  us  ten  hours  to  accomplish  the  journey.  I 
lodged  with  Colonel  Jackson.  Our  meeting  was  held 
in  a  long  close  room  belonging  to  the  Baptists,  and 
our  use  of  the  house  gave  offense.  There  attended 
about  seven  hundred  people,  to  whom  I  preached 
with  freedom,  and  I  believe  the  Lord's  power  reached 
the  hearts  of  some.  After  administering  the  sacrament 
I  was  well  satisfied  to  leave.  We  rode  thirty  miles 
to  father  Haymond's,  after  three  o'clock  Sunday 
afternoon,  and  made  it  nearly  eleven  before  we  came 


188  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

in.  About  midnight  \ve  went  to  rest,  and  rose  at  five 
o'clock  the  next  morning.  My  mind  has  been  se 
verely  tried  both  by  the  fatigue  endured  by  myself 
and  my  horse.  O  how  glad  I  should  be  of  a  plain 
clean  plank  to  lie  on  as  preferable  to  the  beds ;  and 
where  the  beds  are  in  a  bad  state  the  floors  are  worse. 
The  gnats  are  almost  as  troublesome  here  as  the 
mosquitoes  in  the  lowlands  of  the  seaboard.  The 
people  of  this  country  are  many  of  them  of  the  bold 
est  cast  of  adventurers,  and  with  some  the  decencies 
of  civilized  life  are  scarcely  regarded,  two  instances 
of  which  I  myself  witnessed.  The  great  landholders 
who  are  industrious  will  soon  show  the  effects  of  the 
aristocracy  of  wealth  by  lording  it  over  poor  neigh 
bors,  and  by  securing  to  themselves  all  the  offices  of 
profit  and  honor.  On  the  one  hand  savage  warfare 
teaches  them  to  be  cruel,  and  on  the  other  the  preach 
ing  of  Antinomians  poisons  them  with  error  in  doc 
trine  ;  good  moralists  they  are  not,  and  good  Christians 
they  cannot  be  unless  they  are  better  taught." 

While  in  Virginia  he  wrote  a  letter  to  a  Quaker 
in  Delaware,  which  is  so  characteristic  of  the  man 
we  insert  it. 

"KEWTON,  VA.,  Seventh  Month,  1790. 

;'  MY  YEKY  DEAR  FKIEND, — If  I  have  a  partiality 
for  any  people  in  the  world  except  the  Methodists, 
it  is  for  the  Quakers,  so  called.  Their  plainness  of 
dress,  their  love  of  justice  and  truth,  their  friendship 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  189 

to  each  other,  and  the  care  they  take  of  one  another, 
render  them  worthy  of  praise. 

"Would  it  not  be  of  use  for  that  society  that  make 
it  a  point  not  to  come  near  any  others,  whether  good 
or  had,  to  try  all  means  within  themselves  ?  Would 
it  not  be  well,  thinkest  thou,  for  them  to  sit  every 
night  and  morning,  and,  if  they  find  liberty,  to  go  to 
prayer  after  reading  a  portion  of  God's  word?  As 
epistles  are  read  from  the  Friends,  would  it  not  be 
well  to  introduce  the  reading  of  some  portion  of  the 
Scriptures  at  public  meetings  ?  Would  it  not  be  well 
to  have  a  congregation  and  a  society — an  outward 
and  an  inward  court  ?  In  the  former  let  children  and 
servants,  and  unawakened  people  come;  in  the  in 
ward  let  mourners  in  Zion  come. 

"The  Presbyterians  have  reformed  ;  the  Episcopali 
ans  and  the  Methodists ;  why  should  not  the  Friends  ? 
It  was  a  dark  time  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  back. 
We  are  near  the  edge  of  the  wilderness.  If  this  inward 
court  or  society  were  divided  into  small  bands  or 
classes,  and  to  be  called  together  weekly  by  men  and 
women  of  the  deepest  experience,  and  appointed  for 
that  work,  and  asked  about  their  souls  and  the  deal 
ings  of  God  with  them,  and  to  join  in  prayer,  one  or 
two  or  all  of  them  that  have  freedom,  I  think  the  Lord 
would  come  upon  them. 

"  I  give  this  advice  as  the  real  friend  of  your  souls, 
as  there  are  hundreds  and  thousands  that  never  have 


190  LIFE    AXD    TIMES    OF 

nor  will  come  near  others.  These  might  get  more 
religion  if  your  people  were  to  hear  others ;  they 
might  get  properly  awakened,  and  if  you  had  close 
meetings  for  speaking  they  would  not  leave  you. 
You  must  not  think  that  G.  Fox  and  R.  Barcla}r  were 
the  only  men  in  the  world.  I  am  sure  there  must  be 
a  reform,  if  you  could  move  it  in  quarterly  and 
yearly  meetings  for  family  and  society  meetings,  and 
adopt  rules  for  these  meetings  ! 

"  Would  it  not  be  well,  thinkest  thou,  to  preach 
against  covetousness  ?  God  has  blessed  Friends  ;  they 
are  a  temperate,  industrious,  and  frugal  people.  Tell 
them  to  feed  the  hungry,  clothe  the  naked,  visit  the 
sick,  and  always  feel  for  the  spirit  of  prayer  at  such 
times.  Would  it  not  be  well  to  deliver  a  testimony 
at  other  places,  if  Friends  felt  freedom,  and  allow 
others  to  come  into  their  meetings  without  forbidding 
them?  Our  houses  are  open  to  any  that  come  in  a 
Christian  spirit. 

"I  wish  Methodists  and  Friends  would  bear  a  stron 
ger  testimony  against  races,  fairs,  plays,  and  balls  ;  I 
wish  they  would  reprove  swearing,  lying,  and  foolish 
talking;  watch  their  young  people  in  their  companies; 
instruct  them  in  the  doctrines  of  Christ ;  call  upon 
them  to  feel  after  the  spirit  of  prayer,  morning  and 
evening,  and  strive  to  bring  them  to  God  !  If  I  know 
my  own  heart,  I  write  from  love  to  souls ;  and  although 
it  is  the  general  cry,  i  You  can  do  nothing  with  these 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  191 

people,'  I  wish  to  lay  before  you  these  things,  which 
I  think  are  not  contrary  to  the  ancient  principles  of 
Friends,  and  I  am  sure  that  we  are  taught  them  in 
the  word  of  God.  Think  upon  them.  My  soul  pities 
and  loves  you.  You  may  fight  against  God  in  not 
inculcating  these  things. 

"I  am,  with  real  friendship  to  thee  and  thy  people, 

"  FRANCIS  ASBURY." 

As  a  true  pioneer,  Asbury  had  for  some  time  con 
templated  a  tour  to  what  was  then  denominated  the 
great  "Western  wilderness.  Already  following  the 
trail  of  the  hunter,  and  the  blazed  path  of  the  settler, 
Asbury's  missionaries  had  penetrated  the  deep,  un 
broken  forests,  and  had  borne  the  messages  of  salva 
tion  to  the  camps  and  cabins  in  the  canebrakes  of 
Kentucky.  Poythress,  a  heroic  pioneer  of  the  cross, 
wrote  to  the  bishop,  entreating  him  to  visit  the 
scattered  sheep  in  the  wilderness.  Having  got  all 
things  in  readiness,  he  started  with  his  traveling  com 
panions  upon  his  long  and  perilous  journey.  After 
passing  over  the  mountain  they  crossed  Holstein 
River,  and  following  its  bank  down,  after  a  fatiguing 
journey  reached  a  cabin,  where  they  halted,  and 
turned  out  their  horses  to  graze.  The  owner  of  the 
house  was  in  quest  of  horses  which  had  been  stolen  by 
the  Indians.  After  waiting  at  this  point  for  a  renewal 
of  their  forces  before  entering  fully  upon  the  wilder- 


192  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

ness,  they  felt  somewhat  invigorated  for  their  future 
journey.  While  passing  through  the  valley  of  the 
Holstein  they  preached  at  the  different  stopping 
places  on  their  route.  At  length  they  crossed  Clinch 
Eiver,  passing  over  a  wild  rocky  road  until  they  came 
to  Moccasin  Gap,  where  the  party  were  joined  by 
Massie  and  Clark,  two  noted  western  hunters,  who 
came  to  inform  them  of  a  Kentucky  guard  of  eight 
men  waiting  to  escort  them  through  the  wilder 
ness.  At  the  valley  station  the  whole  number  as 
sembled  was  eighteen  men  with  thirteen  guns.  Thus 
armed  they  moved  on,  making  from  thirty- five  to 
fifty  miles  a  day.  Crossing  Rock  Castle  River  they 
stopped  at  the  house  of  a  gentleman  whose  wife  had 
been  taken  captive  by  the  Indians.  The  fatigues 
connected  with  the  journey  over  mountains,  steep 
hills,  deep  rivers,  through  interminable  canebrakes 
inhabited  by  nothing  but  wild  beasts  and  savages, 
attended  with  want  of  sleep  and  fasting  for  want  of 
food,  wore  heavily  upon  Asbury,  but  his  tireless  spirit 
quailed  not.  On  their  route  they  passed  a  deserted 
camp  where  the  Indians  had  killed  twenty-four  white 
men.  A  woman  of  the  company,  wife  of  one  of  the 
victims,  made  her  escape.  On  the  route  they  were 
pursued  by  Indians,  but  the  members  of  the  company 
and  their  means  of  defense  kept  them  at  bay. 
Finally  the  party  reached  Lexington,  where  Asbury 
preached  in  a  dwelling-house.  The  Conference  was 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  193 

held  in  a  private  house,  and  consisted  of  nine 
preachers.  Among  other  business  transacted  was 
the  ordination  of  Wilson  Lee,  Thomas  Williamson, 
and  Barnabas  M'Henry.  After  visiting  several  other 
places  in  Kentucky  the  bishop  started  on  his  return 
track.  The  company  consisted  of  fifty  persons, 
twenty-five  of  whom  were  armed.  Articles  of  agree 
ment  for  the  government  of  the  company  were  drawn 
up  and  signed.  The  first  day's  travel  brought  them 
to  the  Hazel  Patch ;  the  next  day  they  discovered 
signs  of  Indians,  and  they  judged  it  best  not  to  en 
camp,  but  travel  all  night ;  and  the  following  day 
they  reached  the  Cumberland  Gap,  at  the  foot  of 
which  the  company  separated,  Asbury 's  party  pro 
ceeding  on  to  Grass  Valley. 

The  next  Conference  was  held  in  Petersburg,  Yir- 
ginia,  where  the  business  wras  conducted  with  peace 
and  harmony,  until,  as  Asbury  remarks  in  his  Jour 
nal,  the  subject  of  the  bishop's  council  was  intro 
duced,  and  then  "  the  young  men,  who  appeared  to 
be  entirely  under  the  influence  of  the  elders,  turned  it 
out  of  doors."  The  discussions  on  this  subject  were 
exceedingly  vexatious  to  Asbury,  and  he  remarks: 
"  This  business  is  to  be  explained  to  every  preacher, 
and  then  it  must  be  carried  through  the  Conferences 
twenty-four  times,  that  is,  through  all  the  Conferen 
ces  for  two  years."  Kestless  spirits  had  arisen  who 

looked  with  envy  upon  Asbury,  and  were  dissatisfied 

13 


194  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

with  his  exercise  of  episcopal  prerogative.  The 
bishop  had  received  a  letter  from  O'Kelly,  a  pre 
siding  elder  of  Brunswick  District,  who  made  heavy 
complaints,  and  threatened  to  use  his  influence  against 
him.  In  reply  to  this  Asbury  says :  "  There  is  not  a 
vote  given  in  the  Conference  in  which  the  presiding 
elder  has  not  greatly  the  advantage  of  me.  All  the 
influence  I  am  to  gain  over  a  company  of  young  men 
in  a  district  must  be  done  in  three  weeks ;  the  greater 
part  of  them  perhaps  are  seen  by  me  only  at  Confer 
ence,  while  the  presiding  elder  has  had  them  with 
him  all  the  year,  and  has  the  greatest  opportunity  of 
gaining  influence.  This  advantage  may  be  abused ; 
let  the  bishops  look  to  it ;  but  who  has  power  to  lay 
an  embargo  on  me,  and  to  make  of  none  effect  the 
decision  of  all  the  Conferences  of  the  Union  ?" 

To  conciliate  the  disaffected,  at  one  time  Asbury 
addressed  them  a  letter,  saying :  "  I  will  take  my 
seat  in  council  as  another  member,  and  in  that  point 
at  least  waive  the  claims  of  episcopacy ;  yea,  I  will  lie 
down  and  be  trodden  upon  rather  than  injure  one  soul." 

If  any  man  could  be  trusted  with  power  safely  it  was 
Asbury.  No  man  exercised  it  with  greater  discre 
tion.  He  had  given  form  and  character  to  American 
Methodism,  and  had  shown  himself  from  his  first 
landing  in  the  country,  by  all  his  acts  as  assistant, 
superintendent,  and  bishop,  an  American  in  heart  and 
life,  identifying  himself  with  every  interest  of  the 


FRANCIS    ASBTTRY.  195 

Church  and  the  country,  resisting  stoutly  every  En 
glish  prejudice  that  showed  itself  among  the  preach 
ers,  and  making  every  sacrifice  for  the  welfare  of  the 
Church.  He  was  keenly  sensitive  to  all  attacks,  and 
perhaps  more  careful  than  necessary  to  vindicate 
himself.  While  suffering  from  unjust  insinuations  in 
relation  to  his  motives  and  acts,  he  wrote  to  Dick- 
ins,  the  book  steward,  at  Philadelphia,  as  follows : 

"My  VERY  DEAR  BROTHER, — As  life  with  me  now  is 
a  greater  uncertainty  than  heretofore,  I  am  concerned 
to  communicate  these  few  lines  to  the  public,  not 
doubting  but  they  will  give  information  and  satisfac 
tion  to  the  candid  and  conscientious.  It  may  be 
thought  by  those  who  measure  others  by  themselves, 
that  I  have  gained  much  honor,  ease,  power,  and  in 
terest  in  my  station  in  the  Church  of  God.  ISTay,  I 
have  lived  upon  the  providence  of  God  and  the 
charity  of  a  few  friends.  My  method  for  many  years 
has  been  to  keep  an  account  of  what  has  been  given 
me  without  solicitation.  I  have  also  kept  an  account 
of  what  I  have  expended  annually,  charging  the  con 
nection  with  my  salary  of  sixty-four  dollars  per  year 
and  my  traveling  expenses,  as  another  preacher. 
When  I  have  wanted  a  horse  or  carriage  my  friends 
have  provided  for  me.  My  friends  in  Maryland, 
Delaware,  Philadelphia,  Jersey,  and  New  York  have 
chiefly  communicated  this  supply.  As  to  Virginia  or 


196  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

the  Carolinas,  (except  in  a  few  extraordinary  cases,) 
as  also  Georgia,  and  the  Western  and  Eastern  states,  I 
have  visited  them,  taking  nothing  unless  in  extreme 
want  on  my  side,  or  in  the  great  benevolence  of  my 
friends  on  the  other.     As  to  the  college,  it  was  all 
pain  and  no  profit,  but  some  expense  and  great  labor. 
From  the  Preachers'  Fund  the  Conferences  can  wit 
ness  for  me  I  have  taken  nothing.     Of  the  book  inter 
est  you  can  witness  I  have  received  nothing.     Of  the 
Chartered  Fund  I  am  independent,  and  wish  to  keep 
so.     Of  money  brought  to  Conference,  or  collected 
publicly  at  times,  it  has  been  appropriated  with  the 
nicest  equality  to  the  wants  and  deficiencies  of  the 
preachers,  but  not  any  to  me.     You  have  settled  my 
annual  accounts  and  have  the  book  charge.     Brother 
Nelson  Reed  will  do  me  the  justice  I  demand,  he 
having  had  the  settling  of  the  college  books  and  my 
accounts.      Brothers   T.  Morrell   and   Philip  Bruce 
have  had  a  most  intimate  acquaintance  with  my  tem 
poral  affairs,  and  the  inspection  of  my  yearly  ac 
counts  ;  yet  after  all  I  must  die,  to  prove,  by  my  last 
will  and  testament,  that  I  have  not  made  my  gain  by 
the  Gospel  of  Christ.     And  should  I  die  as  poor  as  I 
have  lived,  it  will  be  said  by  suspicious,  ungenerous 
men  that  I  have  made  appropriations  in  my  lifetime. 
I  shall  call  upon  the  Conferences,  John  Dickins,  Nel 
son  Reed,  and  Thomas  Morrell,  as  witnesses  to  the 
truth  of  what  I  have  written,  as  a  debt  of  duty  and  of 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  197 

love  they  owe  me,  who  am  their  brother  and  com 
panion  in  the  kingdom  and  patience  of  Jesus  Christ. 

ASBURY." 


The  following  is  Dickins's  reply  to  the  above  : 

"  As  Mr.  Asbury  is  pleased  in  the  above  letter  to  call 
•  upon  me,  as  well  as  a  few  other  persons,  to  testify  to 
the  truth  of  what  he  has  written,  it  is  with  the  great 
est  cheerfulness  that  I  comply  with  his  request. 
Both  from  a  sense  of  duty  and  respect,  I  now  declare 
in  the  most  solemn  manner  that  Mr.  Asbury  has 
never  received  any  money  from  the  book  fund,  nor 
ever  dropped  the  most  distant  hint  to  my  knowledge 
of  desiring  or  expecting  anything  either  from  that 
fund  or  from  the  Charter  Fund.  And  further,  I  have 
frequently  settled  his  book  and  private  accounts,  in 
which  I  have  always  found  that  he  has  charged  him 
self  with  the  donations  of  his  friends,  or  whatever 
money  he  has  received,  and  credited  himself  with 
nothing  but  twenty-four  pounds  a  year  and  his  travel 
ing  expenses,  and  at  the  close  of  the  year  the  balance 
has  been  carried  to  the  proper  side  of  a  new  account 
for  another  year.  And  when  he  left  this  city  last  he 
had  not  money  enough  to  bear  his  expenses  for  one 
month.  I  shall  conclude  with  adding,  that  from  my 
long  and  intimate  acquaintance  with  him  I  think  I 
never  knew  so  disinterested  a  man  as  Mr.  Asbury." 
To  those  acquainted  with  Asbury  all  this  was  en- 


198  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

tirely  superfluous;  and  yet,  to  put  to  silence  the 
clamors  of  envy  and  suspicion,  it  perhaps  was  proper 
that  he  should  give  such  an  expose  in  detail  of  his 
private  affairs.  Asbury  had  nothing  to  conceal,  for 
though  apparently  secretive  and  unapproachable,  he 
was  transparent  as  the  calm,  quiet  lake  that  reveals 
all  that  lies  within  its  depths. 

In  the  year  1789  Jesse  Lee  introduced  Methodism 
into  the  land  of  the  pilgrims.  It  is  said  by  one  of 
his  cotemporaries  that  he  possessed  uncommon  con 
versational  powers,  and  a  pleasing,  fascinating  ad 
dress,  which  at  once  prepossessed  all  with  whom  he 
met  most  favorably.  His  wit  and  readiness  at  repar 
tee  were  not  excelled  by  any,  and  so  skillfully  did  he 
use  this  two-edged  instrument  that  he  often  taught 
those  disposed  to  be  witty  at  the  expense  of  a  Meth 
odist  preacher  that  this  dangerous  weapon  was  all 
potent  in  his  hands.  He  possessed  the  elements  es 
sential  to  make  up  a  pioneer  itinerant  in  an  eminent 
degree.  To  great  moral  courage  was  united  a  well- 
tempered  zeal,  which  nerved  him,  and  impelled  him 
onward  through  the  most  forbidding  obstacles  and 
the  most  trying  labors.  There  was  a  naturalness  and 
consequent  ease  and  grace  about  his  preaching  that 
rendered  him  one  of  the  most  efficient  ministers  of 
his  day.  He  opened  his  mission  in  the  land  of  the 
Puritans  first  at  ISTorwalk.  From  thence  he  visited 
"New  Haven  and  Boston,  the  very  seat  and  citadel  of 


FKAKCIS    ASBUKY.  199 

the  Puritan  faith.  He  had  been  in  all  parts  of  the 
country,  and  had  preached  the  Gospel  in  the  far 
South  among  the  earliest  pioneers.  Not  being  able 
to  obtain  a  house  to  preach  in,  he  went  out  to  Boston 
Common,  and  beneath  the  wide-spreading  branches 
of  a  venerable  elm  which  stands  to  this  day,  and  with 
a  melody  for  which  the  preachers  of  that  day  were 
famous,  sang  together  a  large  congregation.  One 
who  was  present  on  the  occasion  thus  describes  the 
scene  which  followed :  "  I  thought  the  prayer  was  the 
best  I  ever  heard.  He  then  read  his  text,  and  began 
in  a  sententious  manner  to  address  his  remarks  to  the 
understanding  and  consciences  of  the  people,  and  I 
thought  all  who  were  present  must  be  constrained  to 
say  i  It  is  good  for  us  to  be  here.'  All  the  while  the 
people  were  gathering  he  continued  this  mode  of  ad 
dress,  and  presented  us  with  such  a  variety  of  beauti 
ful  images  that  I  thought  he  must  have  been  at  infi 
nite  pains  to  crowd  so  many  pretty  things  into  his 
memory.  But  when  he  entered  upon  the  subject- 
matter  of  his  text,  it  was  with  such  an  easy,  natural 
flow  of  expression,  and  in  such  a  tone  of  voice,  that  I 
could  not  refrain  from  weeping,  and  many  others 
were  affected  in  the  same  way.  When  he  had  done 
and  we  had  an  opportunity  of  expressing  our  views  to 
each  other,  it  was  agreed  that  such  a  man  had  not 
visited  New  England  since  the  days  of  Whiten' eld.  I 
heard  him  again,  and  thought  I  could  follow  him  to 


200  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

the  ends  of  the  earth."  But  this  was  not  the  first 
Methodist  sermon  that  was  preached  in  Boston. 
More  than  a  half  century  before  Charles  Wesley  had 
preached  several  times,  being  driven  into  Boston 
harbor  by  a  crazy  craft  commanded  by  a  drunken 
captain.  One  of  the  churches  in  which  he  preached 
at  that  time  stands  to  this  day. 

From  the  time  that  the  fearless  and  indefati 
gable  Lee  opened  his  mission  on  that  memorable 
spot  until  the  present,  his  name  has  been  a  household 
word  in  the  family  of  New  England  Methodism. 
We  do  not  intend  by  this  to  be  understood  as  de 
signing  to  convey  the  impression  that  his  labors  were 
of  a  sectional  character,  much  less  that  his  memory 
is  not  equally  cherished  among  all  the  branches  of 
the  Methodist  family  in  this  country.  The  preachers 
of  those  days,  like  their  bishop,  were  general  itiner 
ants,  circulating,  like  the  life-blood  of  the  human  sys 
tem,  from  the  center  to  all  the  extremities  of  the  land. 
One  year  among  the  Puritans  of  the  North,  and  the 
next  with  the  cavaliers  of  the  South,  the  very  sys 
tem  of  itinerancy  forbade  the  indulgence  of  any  sec 
tional  views  or  prejudices.  With  them  the  whole 
human  family  was  one,  but  more  particularly  the 
people  composing  the  confederacy  where  they 
labored.  The  name  of  Jesse  Lee  was  dear  to  every 
Methodist,  and  with  those  of  his  brave  and  honored 
associates  will  go  down  to  posterity  garnered  with 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  201 

the  most  precious  things  of  Methodist  history.  The 
following  letter  from  Lee  to  Asbury,  written  from 
New  Haven  in  1790,  was  published  recently  by  the 
Baltimore  Historical  Society.  It  is  full  of  interest, 
especially  as  it  relates  to  his  labors  in  New  England. 

"  MY  DEAR  BROTHER, — I  received  your  letter  from 
Petersburgh.  I  was  glad  to  hear  from  you  that 
you  are  safely  preserved  under  all  your  troubles 
and  from  all  your  enemies.  I  have  enjoyed  good 
health  of  late,  and  have  reason  to  bless  God  that 
I  have  not  wickedly  departed  from  him.  Though 
I  live  to  but  little  purpose,  I  must  own  that  my 
poor  heart  is  engaged  in  the  work  of  the  Lord ; 
and  I  still  desire  to  devote  my  whole  soul  and  body 
to  his  service ;  and  in  the  midst  of  all  my  troubles  I 
can  say,  '  The  Lord  is  my  portion.' 

"  I  expect  you  will  be  glad  to  hear  of  the  work  of 
the  Lord,  and  the  opening  prospect  we  have  in  New 
England.  We  have  formed  three  circuits ;  one  is  a 
four  weeks'  and  the  others  two  weeks'  circuits,  but  the 
latter  may  be  enlarged  as  soon  as  preachers  can  be 
procured.  We  have  seven  or  eight  societies  in  one 
of  them,  and  one  in  the  next  circuit.  In  the  last  one 
which  we  formed  we  have  no  society  yet,  but  there 
are  several  persons  who  intend  to  cast  their  lot 
among  us.  In  these  circuits  we  have  large  congre 
gations  and  many  real  friends.  Many  people  fall  in 


202  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

with  our  doctrines  about  election  and  reprobation  as 
soon  as  they  hear  them;  but  they  do  not  agree  with 
us  about  the  perseverance  of  the  saints.  Neverthe 
less  they  suppose  the  doctrine,  as  we  preach  it,  is 
innocent.  In  most  places  they  desire  to  hear  our 
preachers. 

"  I  have  lately  taken  a  tour  as  far  as  Portsmouth, 
the  metropolis  of  New  Hampshire.  I  preached  in 
most  of  the  large  sea-ports  and  cities  to  large  con 
gregations,  and  in  the  most  of  them  I  was  solicited 
to  return.  I  cannot  tell  what  you  may  think  of  the 
liberty  I  took  in  going  so  far,  but  I  felt  so  much  of 
the  power  and  presence  of  God  in  preaching  to  the 
people  that  I  believe  I  shall  never  repent  that  I 
went.  When  I  got  to  Boston  I  could  get  no  house 
to  preach  in ;  but  believing  God  had  sent  me,  I  told 
the  people  that  I  would  preach  on  the  Common  at 
six  o'clock  on  Sunday  evening,  at  which  time  I  sup 
pose  I  had  one  thousand  serious  hearers.  The  next 
week  I  went  further  east,  preached  twice  in  Marble- 
head,  three  times  in  Salem,  once  in  Danvers,  twice 
in  Newburyport,  where  I  saw  the  remains  of  Mr. 
G.  Whitefield,  and  once  in  Portsmouth.  This  week  I 
rode  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles,  made  my  own 
appointments,  preached  nine  times,  returned  to  Bos 
ton,  and  preached  on  Sunday  afternoon  on  the  Com 
mon  to  three  thousand  hearers.  The  next  week  I 
spent  in  Boston.  I  preached  in  a  Baptist  meeting- 


FRANCIS   ASBURY.  203 

house  once,  three  limes  in  private  houses,  and  on  the 
Sabbath  on  the  Common  to  five  thousand  hearers. 

"I  feel  attached  to  the  Bostonians.  I  found  sev 
eral  who  once  belonged  to  our  society.  A  number 
pressed  me  to  return,  if  possible,  before  our  next  Con 
ference,  when  they  hope  and  pray  that  a  preacher 
may  be  sent  to  them.  Boston  is  a  large  place ;  the 
people  are  much  divided  in  their  religious  senti 
ments,  and  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  in  three  months 
I  could  have  a  steady  congregation.  To-morrow  I 
expect  to  set  out  for  that  town  again,  and  to  spend 
eight  or  nine  days  in  it  before  I  return.  I  shall  do 
all  I  can  for  the  reception  of  a  preacher,  and  do  hope 
that  you  will  send  an  acceptable  one  from  the  Mary 
land  Conference.  If  possible,  get  a  volunteer  who 
loves  the  cause  of  God.  If  he  comes  willingly,  he 
will  bear  his  cross  with  greater  courage.  If  a 
preacher  can  be  fixed  there  now,  the  way  will  soon 
be  opened  in  the  country  around  there.  They  have 
seventeen  houses  for  public  worship  in  the  town  and 
eight  or  ten  more  in  sight  of  it." 

Jesse  Lee  was  the  first  historian  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  and  was  eminently  fitted  for  the  work  of  a 
pioneer.  Such  were  his  influence  and  standing  in  the 
country  that  for  several  years  he  served  as  chaplain 
to  Congress,  commanding  the  respect  of  men  of  Revo 
lutionary  times,  and  sustaining  throughout  the  dig 
nity  of  his  vocation  and  office. 


204  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

This  year  Asbury  received  the  following  letter 
from  Poythress,  presiding  elder  of  the  Kentucky 
District,  in  relation  to  the  work  in  that  region  : 


VERY  DEAR  BROTHER,  —  I  have  heard  many 
souls  cry  out  for  mercy,  and  many  have  entered  into 
life  ;  I  suppose  not  less  than  two  hundred  at  our  com 
mon  meetings.  There  is  a  general  revival  through 
my  district.  At  our  last  quarterly  meeting  we  had, 
it  \vas  supposed,  seven  hundred  souls.  I  believe 
Methodism  will  take  root  in  the  western  country. 
Upward  of  twenty  professed  to  emerge  out  of  dark 
ness  into  the  marvelous  light  of  the  Gospel,  and 
many  more  cried  aloud  to  God  for  mercy.  It  is 
remarkable  that  this  savage  land  has  become  a  land 
of  praise  to  God. 

"A  very  remarkable  circumstance  happened  in 
Lexington  circuit,  namely:  On  the  28th  of  June 
Brother  W.  Lee  preached  at  Coleman's  chapel  ;  there 
was  a  great  appearance  of  the  power  of  God.  One 
of  S.'s  daughters  was  struck  under  conviction.  It 
was  thought  in  a  few  days  that  God  delivered  her 
from  her  burden  of  sin.  As  she  was  her  father's 
favorite  daughter,  ,it  was  thought  that  he  would  not 
be  willing  that  she  should  join  the  Methodist  society. 
She  went  with  her  sister  to  sweep  out  the  chapel. 
As  soon  as  she  went  in,  her  sister  says  she  went  out, 
and  a  little  time  after  returned  and  went  up  to  the 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  205 

pulpit,  stood  before  it,  appeared  very  awful,  and 
dropped  down  dead,  which  was  exactly  four  weeks 
from  the  day  that  she  was  first  awakened,  and  it 
was  in  the  same  house  that  she  gave  her  soul  to  God. 
He  took  her  from  the  evil  to  come,  and  we  have  no 
doubt  but  that  she  is  now  praising  him  in  paradise. 

"O  my  dear  father,  I  think  that  I  am  as  willing  to 
suffer  for  my  dear  Master  as  you  are.  I  believe  that 
you  feel  much  for  the  rising  generation  in  America. 
May  God  bless  you  with  a  long  and  useful  life,  and 
success  in  all  your  labors ! 

"The  Indians  are  still  doing  mischief.  Not  far 
from  the  first  house  you  came  to  after  you  passed 
through  the  wilderness,  they  killed  seven  men  and 
wounded  one.  They  went  to  a  house  near  Bourbon 
court-house,  ripped  open  the  beds,  and  plundered 
the  house.  The  women  and  children  happily  made 
their  escape.  O  when  wrill  the  Lord  Christianize  the 
savage  tribes !  May  he  hasten  the  happy  moment!" 

Poythress  was  among  the  noble  band  of  Western 
pioneers  who  planted*  the  Gospel  in  the  Western  wil 
derness.  His  name  and  memory  will  be  cherished 
as  long  as  Methodism  is  known.  He  and  his  associ 
ates  in  the  ministry  stamped  their  character  upon  the 
wild  and  widely-scattered  population  of  the  West, 
and  through  their  toils  it  was  made  to  "  bud  and 
blossom  like  the  rose." 


206  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 


CHAPTER  X. 

Doctrine  of  Celibacy  —  Apostolic  Injunction  —  Asbury's  Eeasonsfor  Celi 
bacy —  Other  Reasons —  His  Opinion  of  Dr.  Coke's  Marriage  —  Singu 
lar  Remark  about  the  Women  and  the  Devil  —  Dialogue  on  Marriage  — 
Asbury  and  the  Young  Lady  —  Devotion  to  his  Mother  —  Beautiful 
Tribute  to  her  Memory. 

THE  doctrine  of  the  celibacy  of  the  clergy  finds  no 
countenance  in  the  inspired  word.  The  priests  of  the 
Jewish  Church  were  not  only  not  forbidden  to  marry 
but  had  wives  and  children.  The  solitary  instance  of 
Paul,  who  was  careful  to  say  that  he  spoke  without 
Divine  authority  on  the  subject,  and  was  only 
prompted  to  speak  as  he  did  on  account  of  the  neces 
sities  of  the  case,  furnishes  no  warrant  to  the  Chris 
tian  Church  to  prohibit  its  ministers  from  marrying. 
The  injunction  of  the  apostle  to  the  ministers  of  the 
New  Testament,  sanctioned  by  his  own  example,  to 
form  no  matrimonial  alliances,  was  specific  in  its  na 
ture,  and  grew  out  of,  and  was  adapted  to  the  exi 
gency  of  the  times.  It  was  considered,  on  account  of 
"  the.  present  distress,"  not  expedient  for  those  whose 
duty  it  was  to  "  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature," 
and  who  were  constantly  exposed  to  privation,  per 
secution,  and  death,  to  enter  into  the  married 
state.  The  reasons  which  governed  Asbury  in 


FEANCIS    ASBURY.  20T 

the  course  he  pursued  in  this  respect  are  best  stated 
by  himself : 

"  If  I  should  die  in  celibacy,  which  I  think  quite 
probable,  I  give  the  following  reasons  for  what  can 
scarcely  be  called  my  choice.  I  was  called  to  preach 
in  my  fourteenth  year.  I  began  my  public  exercises 
between  sixteen  and  seventeen.  At  twenty-one  I  en 
tered  the  traveling  connection.  At  twenty-six  I  came 
to  America.  Thus  far  I  had  reasons  enough  for  a 
single  life.  It  had  been  my  intention  to  return  to 
Europe,  but  the  war  continued,  and  it  was  ten 
years  before  we  had  settled,  lasting  peace.  This  was 
no  time  to  marry  or  be  given  in  marriage.  At 'forty- 
nine  I  was  ordained  Superintendent  or  Bishop  in 
America.  Among  the  duties  imposed  upon  me  by 
my  office  was  that  of  traveling  extensively,  and  I 
could  hardly  expect  to  find  a  woman  with  grace 
enough  to  enable  her  to  live  but  one  week  out  of  the 
fifty-two  with  her  husband ;  besides,  what  right  has 
any  man  to  take  advantage  of  the  affections  of  a 
woman,  make  her  his  wife,  and  by  voluntary  absence 
subvert  the  whole  order  and  economy  of  the  marriage 
state  by  separating  those  whom  neither  God,  nature, 
or  the  requirements  of  civil  society  permit  long  to  be 
put  asunder.  It  is  neither  just  nor  generous.  I  may 
add  to  this  that  I  had  but  little  money,  and  with  this 
little  I  administered  to  the  necessities  of  a  beloved 
mother  till  I  was  fifty-seven.  If  I  have  done  wrong 


208  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

I  hope  God  and  the  sex  will  forgive  me.  It  is  my 
duty  now  to  bestow  the  pittance  I  have  to  spare  upon 
the  widows  and  fatherless  girls  and  poor  married 
men." 

But  there  were  other  reasons.  In  addition  to  the 
support  of  an  aged  mother  out  of  his  pittance  of  sal 
ary,  amounting  to  sixty-four  dollars,  he  had  the  Book 
Concern  on  his  shoulders,  and  all  he  could  raise  for 
the  publication  fund  was  sent  to  Dickins,  the  book 
agent  at  Philadelphia,  to  enable  him  to  enlarge  the 
Concern  and  increase  the  number  of  Methodist  books. 
His  interest  in  this  establishment  was  lasting  as  life, 
and  in  his  last  hours  he  bore  it  in  affectionate  re 
membrance.  Some  of  his  friends  having  bequeathed 
to  him  two  thousand  dollars,  he  made  it  all  over  to 
the  Book  Concern  in  his  last  will  and  testament. 
Besides,  he  had  to  look  after  poor  preachers  and  the 
missionaries  he  had  sent  out  to  the  frontier  settle 
ments  in  the  West.  He  often  impoverished  himself 
to  relieve  their  wants.  At  one  time  we  find  him 
with  only  two  dollars  in  the  world,  and  his  poor 
preachers  ragged  and  destitute.  First  his  little  purse 
\vas  drained,  and  then  followed  his  cloak,  and  watch, 
and  shirt.  Under  such  circumstances  it  is  perfectly 
obvious  that  neither  he  nor  any  of  his  traveling  com 
panions  in  the  ministry  had  any  need  for  wives. 
Had  they  taken  them  they  would  have  been  "  worse 
than  infidels,"  because  they  would  have  placed 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  209 

themselves  in  a  position  where  it  would  have  been 
impossible  to  "  provide  for  them."  Those  who  did 
marry  while  they  were  in  the  traveling  connection 
did  so  with  the  full  conviction  that  they  would 
not  receive  a  support  from  the  Church,  and  hence 
they  almost  invariably  located  after  getting  married. 
Many  talented  and  useful  ministers  were  thus  lost  to 
the  Church,  at  least  their  influence  and  usefulness 
were  greatly  contracted.  On  receiving  a  letter  from 
Dr.  Coke,  communicating  the  intelligence  of  his  mar 
riage  and  the  probability  of  his  not  returning  to  this 
country  only  on  certain  conditions,  Asbury  said: 
"  Marriage  is  honorable  in  all,  but  to  me  it  is  a  cere 
mony  awful  as  death.  Well  may  it  be  so,  when  I 
calculate  we  have  lost  the  traveling  labors  of  two 
hundred  of  the  best  men  in  America  or  the  world  by 
marriage  and  consequent  location." 

In  a  work  recently  published,  containing  "  Sketches 
of  Early  Times  in  Middle  Tennessee,"  we  find  the  fol 
lowing  : 

"  In  Virginia  there  was  a  circuit  where  the  preach 
ers  sent  among  the  people  almost  always  obtained 
wives  during  their  service.  The  bishop,  supposing 
the  women  should  be  blamed  for  this  state  of  things, 
thought  to  forestall  them  by  sending  to  the  circuit 
two  decrepit  old  men,  in  the  belief  that  no  one  would 
try  to  allure  them  into  the  bonds  of  wedlock.  But, 

to  his  surprise,  both  of  them  married  during  the  year, 

14 


210  LIFE  AND    TIMES    OF 

and  upon  hearing  the  result  of  his  experiment  he  re 
marked,  <I  am  afraid  the  women  and  the  devil  will 
get  all  my  preachers.' ': 

The  following  dialogue  occurred  between  Asbury 
and  one  of  his  preachers  stationed  in  Baltimore. 
The  preacher,  in  accordance  with  the  instructions  of 
the  Discipline  requiring  him  to  consult  his  brethren 
before  taking  such  a  step,  sought  an  interview  with 
the  bishop : 

"  How  old  are  you  ?"  said  Asbury. 

"  Twenty-eight  years." 

"  That  is  the  proper  age  for  a  Methodist  preacher 
to  take  that  important  step.  How  long  have  you 
been  in  the  work?" 

"  Four  years." 

"  Then  you  have  elder's  orders  ?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  All  this  is  proper.  "When  men  enter  their  proba 
tion  they  have  ministerial  characters  to  form,  and 
ministerial  talents  to  exhibit,  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
Church.  Prudence  says  that  they  ought  to  form 
that  character,  and  exhibit  those  talents,  before  they 
take  that  important  step.  But  few  novices  have  min 
isterial  weight  sufficient  to  justify  them  in  bringing 
the  expense  of  a  wife  and  family  on  the  Church. 
The  people  will  feel,  and  they  will  make  the  men 
feel ;  and  the  dear  sister  of  sixteen  will  feel  too. 
Besides,  in  green  age,  men  do  not  always  select  such 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  211 

women  as  the  apostle  says  the  wives  of  deacons  and 
elders  must  be,  such  as  may  be  wholesome  examples 
for  the  flock  of  Christ.  "  Well,  how  now  ?  locate  ?" 

"  No,  sir ;  that  is  not  my  intention." 

"  Very  well ;  I  should  suppose  your  call  was  not 
out.  Some  men  marry  fortunes,  and  go  to  take  care 
of  them ;  some  men  marry  wives,  and  go  to  make 
fortunes  for  them ;  and  thus,  when,  for  the  time,  we 
should  have  age  and  experience  in  the  ministry,  we 
have  youth  and  inexperience ;  and  such  have  charge ; 
this,  not  of  choice,  but  necessity.  "We  must  do  the 
best  we  can." 

On  one  of  his  continental  tours,  while  stopping  at 
a  place  in  the  "West,  Asbury  had  an  appointment 
some  miles  distant  in  a  portion  of  the  country  where 
he  had  never  been  before,  and  there  was  danger  of 
his  missing  his  way  and  getting  lost  in  the  woods. 
One  of  the  daughters  of  the  gentleman  at  whose 
house  he  stopped  proposed  to  accompany  him,  and 
pioneer  him  through  the  wilderness.  He  did  not 
positively  decline  the  offer  of  the  fair  guide,  though 
it  would  have  suited  his  notions  better  to  have  gone 
alone  if  he  even  had  missed  his  way.  The  luxury  of 
a  carriage  at  that  time,  at  least  in  that  section,  was 
not  known ;  indeed  if  they  had  possessed  them  they 
would  have  been  of  no  use,  as  there  were  no  roads, 
nothing  but  blind  or  blazed  paths.  The  only  modes 
of  travel  were  on  foot  or  on  horseback. 


212  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

The  horses  were  soon  in  readiness  for  the  travelers. 
The  bishop  was  in  his  saddle,  and  with  a  celerity  for 
which  the  Western  girls  were  famous  in  early  times, 
Mary  sprang  to  the  back  of  her  spirited  steed  and 
was  at  once  by  his  side.  Soon  they  entered  the  forest 
and  were  lost  to  sight  in  its  deep  thickets.  Mary 
knew  the  route  and  led  the  way.  When  about  half 
the  distance  had  been  passed  over  the  travelers  came 
to  a  deep  but  narrow  ravine,  whose  rugged,  precipi 
tous  banks  seemed  to  forbid  a  passage.  The  bishop 
at  beholding  it  felt  relieved,  as  he  thought  he  had 
arrived  at  a  Rubicon  which  his  fair  companion  could 
not  pass.  Spurring  his  noble  horse,  whose  strength 
and  speed  had  never  failed  him,  he  cleared  the  ravine 
at  a  bound.  Turning  on  his  horse  he  congratulated 
himself  that  he  was  now  rid  of  what  he  felt  rather  an 
incumbrance,  as  he  had  considerable  qualms  of  con 
science  about  going  to  the  appointment,  where  he 
was  a  stranger,  in  company  with  a  young  lady.  He 
was  about  bidding  her  good-by,  with  the  exclama 
tion,  "  Mary  you  can't  do  that,"  a  most  unhappy  sug 
gestion  for  him  to  make  to  a  proud,  spirited,  fearless 
Western  girl.  Her  quick  and  familiar  response  was, 
"I'll  try,  Frank,"  and  suiting  the  action  to  the 
word  horse  and  rider  were  in  a  moment  at  his  side. 
Faithful  to  her  task,  she  accompanied  the  bishop  to 
the  end  of  his  journey,  and  after  the  preaching  was 
over  returned  with  him  to  her  father's  house. 


FRANCIS    ASBUEY.  213 

We  never  heard  of  any  scandal  resulting  from  this 
excursion. 

Asbury,  as  we  have  seen,  did  not,  like  Loyola  and 
his  followers,  take  the  vow  of  celibacy,  though  he 
lived  and  died  an  unmarried  man.  His  deep  devo 
tion  to  his  affectionate  mother,  who  depended  upon 
him  for  a  support,  and  for  whose  sake  alone  he 
adopted  a  prudence  in  secreting  himself  at  Judge 
White's  in  time  of  the  war,  which,  under  other  cir 
cumstances,  would  have  led  him  to  brave  a  martyr's 
fate,  perhaps  prompted  him  to  repress  all  those  nat 
ural  desires  which  would  have  led  him  to  seek  a 
companion  and  help  proper  for  him.  Beyond  his 
dear  venerated  mother  he  had  nothing  in  this  world 
to  love  or  live  for  but  the  Church.  To  be  sure  he 
loved  the  latter  more,  as  for  its  sake  he  left  father, 
and  mother,  and  home,  and  friends,  and  country  to 
come  to  a  land  of  strangers  to  preach  the  everlasting 
Gospel.  His  beautiful  and  touching  tribute  to  the 
memory  of  his  mother  shows  that  he  had  a  heart  full 
of  sympathy  and  affection : 

"For  fifty  years  her  hands,  her  house,  and  her 
heart  were  open  to  receive  the  people  of  God  and  the 
ministers  of  Christ,  and  thus  a  lamp  was  lighted  up 
in  a  dark  place.  She  was  an  afflicted  yet  most  active 
woman,  of  quick  bodily  powers  and  masculine  under 
standing  nevertheless,  so  kindly  all  the  elements 
mixed  in  her.  Her  strong  mind  quickly  felt  the  sub- 


LIFE    A]NTD    TIMES    OF 

cluing  influences  of  that  Christian  sympathy  which 
'  weeps  with  those  who  weep,'  and  <  rejoices  with  those 
who  rejoice.'  As  a  woman  and  a  wife  she  was  re 
fined,  modest,  and  blameless ;  as  a  mother— above  all 
the  women  in  the  world  would  I  claim  her  for  my 
own— ardently  affectionate.  As  a  mother  in  Israel 
few  of  her  sex  have  done  more  by  personal  labor  to 
support  the  Gospel  and  to  wash  the  saints'  feet.  As 
a  friend,  she  was  generous,  true,  and  constant." 


FEANCIS    ASBURY.  215 


CHAPTER  XL 

Previous  Keference  to  Institutions  of  Learning  —  Asbury  lays  the  Foun 
dation  of  the  Book  Concern  —  Founder  of  the  Methodist  Missions  to 
Frontier  Settlements  —  Founder  of  the  Chartered  Fund  —  Founder  of 
American  Sabbath  Schools  —  Benevolent  Institutions  the  Outgrowth  of 
the  Church  —  Asbury  a  Bible  Distributer  —  The  Sunday  School  System 
incorporated  with  the  Discipline  —  Asbury's  Comments  —  Preached  on 
the  Subject  of  Education  —  Name  of  Francis  Asbury  given  to  Children 
—  Remembered  in  his  Will  —  Affectionate  Regard  for  the  Young — Or 
ganization  of  District  Schools  —  His  Plan  —  Its  Importance  —  An  inter 
esting  Sketch. 

WE  have  already  seen  the  relation  sustained  by 
Asbury  to  Methodist  institutions  of  learning ;  how 
he  originated  them,  raised  funds  by  personal  appli 
cation  and  effort  all  over  the  country  for  their  foun 
dation  and  endowment,  acting  as  founder  and  agent, 
and  superintending  their  management,  while  at  the 
same  time  he  was  constantly  engaged  in  traveling 
annually  around  the  continent,  preaching  at  all  times 
and  in  all  places.  Following  in  the  footsteps  of 
Wesley,  who  early  devised  a  literature  for  the  Meth 
odist  people,  we  find  this  indefatigable  man  laying 
the  foundation  of  a  Book  Concern,  and  raising  funds 
for  its  establishment  and  support. 

In  1787  Asbury  made  the  following  reference  to 
the  Book  Concern :  "  The  last  section  in  the  Disci 
pline  reads  as  follows:  As  it  has  been  frequently 
recommended  by  the  preachers  and  people  that 


216  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

such  books  as  are-  wanted  be  printed  in  this  coun 
try,  we  therefore  propose:  1.  That  the  advice  of  the 
Conference  shall  be  desired  concerning  any  valuable 
impression,  and  their  consent  be  obtained  before  any 
steps  be  taken  for  the  printing  thereof;  2.  That  the 
profit  of  the  books,  after  all  the  necessary  expenses 
have  been  paid,  shall  be  applied  according  to  the 
discretion  of  the  Conference  toward  the  college,  the 
Preachers'  Fund,  the  deficiencies  of  the  preachers, 
the  distant  missions,  or  the  debts  on  our  churches." 

At  that  time  the  principal  part  of  the  printing  busi 
ness  was  carried  on  in  Philadelphia.  In  1804  it  was 
removed  to  New  York.  It  was  first  located  in  John- 
street,  and  then  successively  in  Pearl-street,  Church- 
street,  Catharine-street,  and  Crosby-street,  and  finally, 
in  1830,  it  was  removed  to  Mulberry- street,  the  site  it 
now  occupies. 

Asbury  was  also  the  father  of  missions  in  the  Meth 
odist  Church,  sending  out  preachers  into  destitute  set 
tlements,  and  soliciting  here  and  there  all  over  the 
country  funds  for  their  support.  In  addition  to  this  a 
plan  for  a  fund  for  the  relief  of  the  preachers  was 
devised  by  him  and  carried  out,  which  resulted  in  a 
Chartered  Fund  that  exists  to  this  day. 

In  an  early  day  Bishop  Asbury  established  a 
fund  which  was  called  afterward  "  The  Asbury  Mite 
Fund,"  and  carried  with  him  in  his  pocket  a  small 
subscription-book  in  which  was  inserted  the  names 


FEANCI3    ASBTJKY. 

of  subscribers.  This  fund  was  afterward  denominated 
the  "  Preachers'  Fund,"  and  several  hundred  dollars 
were  obtained.  Rev.  John  Dickins  succeeded  in  hav 
ing  this  fund  increased,  and  such  was  the  result  that  in 
1797  the  Legislature  of  Pennsylvania  granted  a  char 
ter  under  the  style  and  title  of  "  The  Trustees  of  the 
Fund  for  the  Relief  and  Support  of  the  Itinerant 
Superannuated  Ministers  and  Preachers  of  the  Meth 
odist  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United  States  of  Amer 
ica,  their  Wives  and  Children,  Widows  and  Orphans." 
The  most  of  this  was  subscribed  in  Philadelphia. 
Considerable  was  derived  from  various  other  sources, 
and  the  amount  was  subsequently  increased  by 
legacies.  The  whole  sum  was  nearly  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars.  Loans  of  money  from  time  to  time 
were  made  from  this  fund  to  enable  the  Book  Con 
cern  to  carry  on  its  business.  Its  proceeds  are  still 
regularly  divided  among  the  Conferences. 

Wesley  himself  never  devised  and  carried  into 
execution  so  many  plans  of  benevolence  in  connec 
tion  with  his  societies  as  did  Asbury  for  the  Meth 
odist  Episcopal  Church.  Nor  was  this  all.  He  was 
the  first  man  on  the  Continent  to  introduce  Sabbath 
schools.  In  the  year  1786,  five  years  before  any 
other  person  moved  in  this  matter,  he  organized  a 
school  in  Hanover  county,  Virginia,  in  the  house  of 
Thomas  Crenshaw,  and,  as  one  of  its  first  fruits,  John 
Charleston  was  converted  to  God  in  that  school,  and 


218  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

afterward  became  a  useful  and  successful  minister  of 
the  Gospel  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

In  Asbury's  Journal,  vol.  ii,  p.  63,  we  find  the 
following :  "  The  school  for  the  charity  boys  in 
Georgia  greatly  occupies  my  mind:  our  annual  ex 
penditure  will  amount  to  two  hundred  pounds,  and 
the  aid  we  get  is  but  trifling;  the  poverty  of  the 
people,  and  the  general  scarcity  of  money,  is  the 
great  source  of  our  difficulties;  the  support  of  our 
preachers  who  have  families  absorbs  our  collections, 
so  that  neither  do  our  elders  nor  the  charity  school 
get  much.  We  have  the  poor,  but  they  have  no 
money;  and  the  worldly,  wicked  rich  we  do  not 
choose  to  ask." 

Asbury  did  not  wait  for  the  organization  of  Edu 
cation,  Missionary,  Bible,  Preachers'  Relief,  Tract, 
and  Sunday  School  Societies,  before  entering  upon 
the  work  connected  with  these  benevolent  depart 
ments  of  church  action,  but  combining  all  these 
societies  in  his  own  person,  he  originated  and  car 
ried  them  into  successful  operation,  and  from  the 
fact  that  these  benevolent  agencies  all  stand  to  this 
day,  constantly  increasing  in  magnitude  and  power, 
it  is  obvious  that  to  this  wonderful  man  belonged  a 
share  of  wisdom  rarely  found  to  exist  in  man,  and 
such  as  fitted  him  in  a  most  eminent  degree  for  the 
position  he  occupied  as  the  head  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  America. 


FRANCIS    ASBTJRY.  219 

All  these  agencies  he  regarded  as  the  natural  out 
growth  of  the  Church,  the  pulsations  of  her  mighty 
heart,  throbbing  with  benevolent  sympathy  for  man 
kind.  The  Church  is  in  itself  a  missionary,  Bible, 
Sunday  School,  and  Mutual  Eelief  Society,  and  if 
any  of  these  departments  of  benevolence  are  found 
necessary  for  their  more  efficient  action  to  exist  in  a 
separate  and  distinct  corporation,  they  can  only  be 
regarded  in  the  light  of  auxiliaries  to  the  Church  for 

O  CT 

the  furtherance  of  her  benevolent  design.  We  have 
sometimes  doubted  whether  the  multiplication  of  or 
ganizations,  with  the  frequently  cumbrous  and  com 
plex  machinery  of  constitutions,  managers,  officers, 
and  agents,  separate  and  apart  from  the  Church,  was 
as  efficient  a  mode  for  furthering  the  objects  as  it 
would  be  if  they  were  brought  directly  in  contact 
with  the  Church.  When  this  pioneer  missionary 
started  out  upon  his  continental  journey  he  supplied 
himself  with  Bibles  and  other  books,  and  scattered 
them  abroad  as  the  leaves  of  the  tree  of  life  and 
knowledge  for  the  healing  of  the  nation.  He  says 
in  his  Journal :  "  When  the  bishop  was  old  and 
pressed  down  by  many  infirmities,  when  the  i  almond- 
tree  was  flourishing,  and  those  that  look  out  of  the 
windows  were  darkened,  the  grinders  ceasing  because 
they  were  few,  and  the  keepers  of  the  house  began  to 
tremble,'  his  brethren  wished  him  to  retire,  as  God 
had  raised  up  many  strong  men ;  but  the  bishop,  like 


220  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

the  apostolic  Wesley,  did  not  wish  <  to  live  to  be  use 
less,'  and  replied,  '  No  man  can  do  my  work.'  For 
ward  he  would  go  in  his  Master's  employment ;  and 
though  he  was  not  able  to  preach  as  formerly,  he 
would  place  a  number  of  Bibles  in  his  wagon  and 
distribute  them,  saying,  '  Now  I  know  I  am  sowing 
good  seed.'" 

Having  originated  Sunday  schools,  it  was  not  long 
before  Asbury  had  the  subject  incorporated  in  the 
Discipline  of  the  Church.  In  1784,  in  the  section 
which  defined  the  duty  of  ministers  of  the  Gospel, 
we  find  the  following :  "  What  shall  be  done  for  the 
rising  generation  ?  Who  will  labor  for  them  ?" 

"  Let  him  who  is  zealous  for  God  and  the  souls  of 
men  begin  now.  1.  Where  there  are  ten  children 
whose  parents  are  in  society,  meet  them  at  least  an 
hour  every  week ;  2.  Talk  with  them  every  time  you 
see  any  at  home;  3.  Pray  in  earnest  for  them; 
4.  Diligently  instruct  and  vehemently  exhort  all 
parents  at  their  own  houses;  5.  Preach  expressly 
on  education." 

Six  years  subsequently  the  following  appears  in  the 
Discipline:  "What  can  be  done  in  order  to  instruct 
poor  children,  white  and  black,  to  read  ?" 

"  Let  us  labor  as  the  heart  and  soul  of  one  man  to 
establish  Sunday  schools  in  or  near  the  place  of  pub 
lic  worship.  Let  persons  be  appointed  by  the  bish 
ops,  elders,  deacons,  or  preachers,  to  teach  gratis  all 


FRANCIS    ASBUEY.  221 

that  will  attend  and  have  a  capacity  to  learn,  from 
six  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  ten,  and  from  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  until  six,  where  it  does  not 
interfere  with  public  worship.  The  Council  shall 
compile  a  proper  school-book  to  teach  them  learning 
and  piety."  After  this,  Sunday  schools  were  estab 
lished  in  several  places,  and  the  teachers  took  noth 
ing  for  their  services.  The  greater  part  of  the  schol 
ars,  were  black  children,  whose  parents  were  re 
luctant  to  send  them,  and  but  few  of  them  were 
regular  in  their  attendance,  so  that  in  a  short  time 
the  teachers  were  discouraged,  and  seeing  little  or 
no  prospect  of  doing  good  they  gave  up  the 
enterprise. 

On  the  subject  of  this  section  of  the  Discipline, 
Bishop  Asbury  thus  comments :  "  Alas !  the  great 
difficulty  lies  in  finding  men  and  women  of  genuine 
piety  as  instructors.  Let  us,  however,  endeavor  to 
supply  these  spiritual  defects.  Let  us  follow  the 
directions  of  this  section,  and  we  shall  meet  many 
in  the  day  of  judgment  who  will  acknowledge  before 
the  great  Judge,  and  an  assembled  universe,  that 
their  first  desires  after  Christ  and  salvation  were  re 
ceived  in  their  younger  years  by  our  instrumentality. 
In  towns  we  may,  without  difficulty,  meet  the  chil 
dren  weekly,  and  in  the  plantations  advise  and  pray 
with  them  every  time  we  visit  their  houses :  nay,  in 
the  country,  if  we  give  notice  that  at  such  a  time 


222  LIFE   AND    TIMES    OF 

we  shall  spend  an  hour  or  two  at  such  a  house  with 
those  children  who  shall  attend,  many  of  the  neigh 
bors  will  esteem  it  a  privilege  to  send  their  children 
to  us  at  the  time  appointed.  But  we  must  exercise 
much  patience,  as  well  as  zeal,  for  the  successful  ac 
complishment  of  this  work.  And  if  we  can,  with 
love  and  delight,  condescend  to  their  ignorance  and 
childishness,  and  yet  endeavor  continually  to  raise  up 
their  little  minds  to  the  once  dying  but  now  exalted 
Saviour,  we  shall  be  made  a  blessing  to  thousands 
of  them. 

"  But  let  us  labor  among  the  poor  in  this  respect 
as  well  as  among  the  competent.  O,  if  our  people  in 
the  cities,  towns,  and  villages  were  but  sufficiently 
sensible  of  the  magnitude  of  this  duty,  and  its  ac- 
ceptableness  to  God — if  they  would  establish  Sab 
bath  schools,  wherever  practicable,  for  the  benefit  of 
the  children  of  the  poor,  and  sacrifice  a  few  public 
ordinances  every  Lord's  day  to  this  charitable  and 
useful  exercise,  God  would  be  to  them  instead  of  all 
the  means  they  lose :  yea,  they  would  find,  to  their 
present  comfort  and  the  increase  of  their  eternal 
glory,  the  truth  and  sweetness  of  those  words, '  Mercy 
is  better  than  sacrifice.'  Matt,  ix,  13 ;  xii,  7 ;  Hos. 
vi,  6.  But  there  is  so  much  of  the  cross  in  all  this ! 
O  when  shall  we  be  the  true  followers  of  a  crucified 
Saviour!" 

The  deep  interest  taken  by  this  devoted  man  in  the 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  223 

subject  ,^f  the  religious  education  of  the  children  was 
perfectly  apparent  in  his  whole  life.  His  Journal 
abounds  with  notices  of  his  having  preached  on  the 
subject,  and  shows  the  earnest  solicitude  which  char 
acterized  all  his  labors  in  this  particular  department 
of  Christian  effort.  Like  a  true  philosopher,  he 
knew  that  the  hope  of  the  country  depended  upon 
the  proper  education  of  the  children,  and  like  a 
wise  master-builder  in  the  erection  of  the  Christian 
edifice,  he  was  fully  impressed  with  the  fact  that 
the  hope  of  the  Church,  as  it  regarded  its  symme 
try,  beauty,  and  strength,  depended  upon  the  rising 
generations.  Now  that,  after  a  long  life  of  toil  for 
the  salvation  of  parents  and  children,  he  has  passed 
away,  his  memory  is  embalmed  in  the  hearts  of  thou 
sands,  who  have  "  risen  up  and  called  him  blessed." 
There  are  perhaps  this  day  more  that  bear  the  name 
of  Asbury  connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  than  that  of  any  other  minister.  Many  of 
them  are  in  the  ministry,  and  show  themselves  to  be 
true  sons  of  the  immortal  father  of  American  Meth 
odism.  In  his  last  will  and  testament  he  made  a  pro 
vision  that  all  then  living  who  bore  his  name  should 
have  a  copy  of  the  Bible,  a  beautiful  edition  of  which 
he  had  procured  for  the  purpose.  How  far  this  pro 
vision  was  carried  out  we  know  not,  but  we  mention 
it  as  an  impressive  and  beautiful  incident  in  the  life 
of  that  man  of  "blessed"  memory,  and  at  the  same 


224  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

time  as  an  exhibition  of  a  trait  of  character  which 
distinguished  him  in  the  relation  he  bore  to  the  chil 
dren  of  the  Church.  Father  Finley,  one  of  the  pio 
neer  preachers  of  the  West,  relates  an  incident  as 
bearing  upon  this  point  which  is  truly  touching.  A 
youth  at  a  camp-meeting  was  called  by  the  good 
bishop  and  kindly  spoken  to  on  the  subject  of  relig 
ion,  and  the  advice  he  received  made  such  an  im 
pression  on  his  mind  as  ever  after  remained,  and 
served  to  mark  and  mold  his  destiny,  for  he  after 
ward  became  a  minister  in  the  Methodist  Church, 
and  was  instrumental  in  the  conversion  of  thou 
sands.  Asbury  never  allowed  any  opportunity  to 
pass  where  he  could  speak  to  the  children  in  the 
families  where  he  stopped  in  his  itinerant  wan 
derings. 

In  the  year  1792  we  find  Asbury  zealously  en 
gaged  in  organizing  what  he  denominated  district 
schools.  His  plan  was  to  establish  a  school  for  the 
education  of  youth  in  every  presiding  elder's  dis 
trict.  This  was  particularly  desirable  in  the  South 
ern  and  Western  portions  of  his  great  field,  where 
there  were  no  common  schools,  and  was  but  little  less 
needed  in  the  North,  where  the  academies  and  semi 
naries  were  all  monopolized,  and  under  the  exclusive 
control  of  denominations  which  had  no  sympathy  for 
if  indeed  they  were  not  hostile  to  the  Methodists. 
The  writer  recollects  distinctly  when  at  certain  insti- 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  225 

tutions  of  learning  in  the  country  the  students  were 
all  required  by  law  to  study  the  Westminster  Cate 
chism,  and  on  Sabbath  were  marched  rank  and  file 
to  the  Presbyterian  church,  no  matter  what  their 
preferences  or  those  of  their  parents.  The  same  was 
true  of  the  Episcopal  Church  institutions.  In  this 
movement,  however,  Asbury  found  himself,  as  he 
did  in  many  other  great  benevolent  enterprises, 
vastly  in  advance  of  his  age.  Still,  he  labored  on, 
drew  up  an  address  calling  the  attention  of  the  peo 
ple  to  the  subject,  and  exerted  himself  in  every  way 
to  develop  and  advance  the  object  he  had  in  view. 
He  was  not,  however,  sustained  in  his  laudable 
efforts,  and  was  obliged  to  yield  to  the  force  of  cir 
cumstances  and  abandon  the  enterprise,  however 
painful  to  his  benevolent  heart. 

Sixty-five  years  have  passed  away  since  the  effort 
of  Asbury  to  establish  preparatory  schools  for  the 
Church.  Time  in  its  ravages  has  swept  away  all  of 
this  description  that  then  existed  in  the  Church,  but 
from  their  ashes  have  sprung  up  Conference  acade 
mies  and  seminaries  all  over  the  land,  amounting  in 
all,  North  and  South,  to  upward  of  one  hundred. 

In  the  year  1793  a  Conference  was  held  at  Mount 
Bethel,  South  Carolina,  at  that  time  the  seat  of  a 
high  school  founded  by  the  labors  of  Asbury.  A 
writer  in  the  "  Southern  Advocate  "  furnishes  the  fol 
lowing  interesting  sketch  of  this  institution  : 

15 


226  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

"This  section  of  the  country  was  peopled  by  emi 
grants  from  Virginia,  among  whom  we  may  mention 
as  permanent  '  the  Finches,'  '  the  Crenshaws,'  '  the 
Malones'  and  others.  They  had  become  Methodists 
in  their  native  state,  and  when  the  subject  of  a  high 
school  was  agitated  they  entered  heartily  and  with 
liberal  subscriptions  into  the  project.  Edward  Finch 
gave  thirty  acres  of  land  as  a  site  for  the  Institution. 
The  buildings  had  been  commenced,  but  for  want  of 
the  necessary  funds  progressed  slowly,  so  that  when 
the  Conference  aforesaid  met  they  were  incomplete, 
and  aiforded,  as  may  readily  be  imagined,  but  nar 
row  and  uncomfortable  quarters  for  thirty  preachers. 
The  daily  sessions  were  held  '  in  an  upstairs  room  of 
the  house  of  Esquire  Finch,  twelve  feet  square.' 
During  the  year  1794  the  building  was  completed, 
and  was  formally  dedicated  by  Bishop  Asbury  'on 
his  next  annual  visit,  on  the  20th  of  March,  1795, 
with  a  sermon  from  1  Thess.  v,  16,  and  was  named 
Mount  Bethel.'  On  the  succeeding  Sabbath  Asbury 
preached  again  and  held  a  '  love-feast,'  which  proved 
to  be  a  blessed  season  of  spiritual  refreshing.  The 
school  was  for  six  years  under  the  rectorship  of  the 
Rev.  Mark  Moore,  a  man  eminently  qualified  for  the 
post,  assisted  by  two  other  teachers,  Messrs.  Smith 
and  Hammond.  At  the  close  of  this  term  of  service, 
Mr.  Moore  resigned  and  took  charge  of  a  school  in 
Columbia,  where,  by  his  influence  and  preaching 


FRANCIS  J:SBUKY.  227 

ability,  which  was  of  the  first  order,  he  materially 
aided  in  the  permanent  establishment  of  Methodism 
in  that  city.  On  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Moore,  Mr. 
Hammond,  father  of  ex-Governor  Hammond,  took 
charge  of  the  school  and  taught  it  with  signal  ability 
for  many  years.  For  a  number  of  years  Mount 
Bethel  and  Willington  Academy  (in  Abbeville  Dis 
trict,  under  the  control  of  the  celebrated  Dr.  Wad- 
dell)  were  the  only  schools  of  high  grade  in  the  inte 
rior  of  the  state,  and  did  much  in  the  educational 
training  of  the  young  men  of  South  Carolina.  Mount 
Bethel  was  largely  patronized,  and  had  from  time  to 
time  students  from  Georgia  and  North  Carolina.  A 
number  of  the  leading  men  in  our  own  state  in  sub 
sequent  years  were  prepared  for  college  at  Mount 
Bethel,  among  whom  were  Hon.  John  Caldwell,  and 
Chancellor  James  J.  Caldwell,  of  dewberry  District, 
Judge  Earl,  the  first  ex-Governor  Manning,  of  South 
Carolina,  "William  and  Wesley  Harper,  sons  of  Rev. 
John  Harper.  The  first  and  second  classes  who 
graduated  in  the  South  Carolina  College  received 
their  preparatory  training  here  also.  Wesley  Har 
per  graduated  in  the  second  class  of  the  college 
and  died  soon  after.  William  Harper  graduated 
in  the  third  class  in  1808,  and  subsequently  became, 
as  is  well  known,  one  of  the  first  jurists  in  the 
country. 

"The  main  building  of  this  institution  was  twenty 


228  LIFE    AND    TIMES  OF 

by  forty  feet,  divided  by  a  partition,  with  chimneys 
at  each  end,  constructed  of  rough,  unhewn  stone. 
The  upstairs  was  used  as  the  lodgings  of  the  students. 
Several  comfortable  cabins  were  also  built,  and  served 
as  residences  of  the  teachers  and  as  boarding-houses. 
About  a  hundred  yards  distant,  at  the  foot  of  a  hill, 
ran  a  bold  spring  of  pure  cold  water  of  sufficient 
volume  to  supply  all  the  wants  of  the  resident  popu 
lation.  Of  this  monument  of  Asbury's  zeal  in  the 
cause  of  education,  nothing  scarcely  remains.  All 
the  buildings  have  been  pulled  down  and  the  loca 
tion  much  altered  in  its  appearance,  and  the  traveler 
who  might  now  visit  it  would  hardly  conceive  its 
former  glory  and  usefulness.  Nothing  now  remains 
to  mark  the  spot  except  the  three  chimneys  of 
'Father  Finch's'  house,  which  yet  stand  as  solitary 
sentinels  over  this  classic  ground.  Near  by  is  a  large 
grave-yard,  in  which  many  of  the  original  settlers 
and  some  of  the  students  quietly  sleep  the  sleep  of 
death.  Here,  too,  lie  in  modest  seclusion  the  last 
mortal  remains  of  Rev.  John  Harper.  A  rude  stone 
some  six  or  eight  inches  above  ground,  bearing  the 
letters  '  J.  H.,'  marks  his  grave.  Mr.  Harper  was  a 
native  Englishman,  and  came  to  this  country  with 
Dr.  Coke  and  Dr.  Brazier.  He  had  been  for  some 
time  a  preacher  in  England,  and  when  he  arrived  in 
America  he  entered  the  regular  itinerant  ministry. 
Bishop  Asbury  continued  annually  to  visit  Mount 


FRANCIS   ASBURY.  229 

Bethel  school  until  the  year  1815,  when  old  age  and 
increasing  infirmities  curtailed  the  field  of  his  labors. 
After  years  of  prosperity  and  usefulness  it  began  to 
decline,  and  finally  ceased  to  exist  about  the  year 
1820,  and  was,  we  believe,  superseded  by  <  Mount 
Ariel  Academy,'  in  Abbeville  District,  and  that  in 
turn  by  ;  Cokesbury  School.'  " 


230  LIFE   AND    TIMES   OF 


CHAPTEE  XII. 

Asbury's  Attachment  to  America  when  his  Associates  in  the  Ministry 
fled  the  Country  —  Writes  a  Complimentary  Letter  to  an  Advo 
cate  of  American  Principles  —  Admonition  to  the  Conference  in 
relation  to  the  Employment  of  an  English  Preacher  —  His  unbounded 
Admiration  for  Washington  —  Proposition  to  the  New  York  Con 
ference  in  1789  —  Asbury  and  his  Associates  introduced  to  Washing 
ton  in  his  Official  Capacity  —  Address  of  the  Bishop  —  Washington's 
Eeply  —  The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  the  first  to  recognize  the 
Government  of  the  United  States  —  With  other  Churches  an  after 
thought —  No  Union  of  Church  and  State,  but  Government  Protection 
—  The  Government  Christian  —  Obedience  to  Government  an  Article 
of  Eeligion  —  Reflections  —  Asbury's  Example  —  Tribute  to  Washing 
ton  —  Thoughts  on  Eeligious  Liberty  —  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts 
Priest-ridden  —  View  of  the  United  States  —  Continental  Officers. 

WE  have  already  remarked  that  the  moment  Asbury 
adopted  this  country  as  his  home  he  became  at  once 
and  forever  an  American  in  sentiment  and  action. 
When  those  who  had  come  here  before  him,  and 
those  who  were  associated  with  him  in  the  govern 
ment  of  the  Church,  in  time  of  trial  left  the  country 
and  the  poor  scattered  flock  in  the  wilderness  and 
returned  to  England,  he  bravely  stood  his  ground, 
resolving  with  the  indomitable  Adams,  "  live  or  die, 
sink  or  swim,  survive  or  perish,"  he  would  remain 
identified  with  the  country  of  his  adoption,  and 
never  forsake  the  people  of  his  charge.  We  ever 
find  him  on  the  side  of  the  patriots  of  the  Revolution, 
and  stoutly  withstanding  to  the  face  every  English 


FRAXCIS    ASBURY.  231 

preacher  who  showed  the  least  want  of  respect  or 
loyalty  to  American  principles.  At  one  time  we 
find  him  writing  a  complimentary  letter  to  a  Presby 
terian  minister  who  had  made  a  speech  in  the  consti 
tutional  convention  in  favor  of  the  principles  of 
American  liberty;  and  at  another  time,  when  the 
Conference  was  engaged  in  discussing  a  resolution 
looking  toward  the  employment  of  an  English 
preacher  who  had  left  his  appointment  in  the  West 
Indies  without  permission,  we  hear  him  in  a  voice 
of  thunder  exclaiming,  "Take  care!  take  care!"  and 
adding,  "I  have  had  more  trouble  with  English 
preachers  than  all  others  put  together." 

He  possessed  the  most  unbounded  admiration  for 
Washington.  He,  the  first,  the  greatest,  and  the  best 
of  men,  always  commanded  his  highest  sympathy  and 
regard.  With  Washington  he  had  many  personal 
and  friendly  interviews,  and  availed  himself  of  such 
whenever  opportunity  presented;  and  when  that 
great  and  good  man  was  chosen  by  the  suffrages 
of  his  countrymen  to  preside  over  the  nation  as  its 
chief  magistrate,  he  was  among  the  first  to  con 
gratulate  him  upon  his  elevation  to  so  distinguished 
a  post. 

Among  the  prominent  acts  of  the  Conference  held 
in  New  York  in  1789,  Asbury  offered  the  follow 
ing  proposition:  "Whether  it  would  not  be  proper 
for  us  as  a  Church  to  present  a  congratulatory  ad- 


232  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

dress  to  General  Washington,  who  has  been  lately 
inaugurated  President  of  the  United  States,  in  which 
should  be  embodied  our  approbation  of  the  Constitu 
tion,  and  professing  our  allegiance  to  the  govern 
ment."  The  Conference  unanimously  acceded  to 
the  proposition,  and  enthusiastically  recommended 
the  measure,  requesting  the  bishop  to  prepare  such 
an  address.  The  same  day  the  address  was  presented 
and  read  to  the  Conference,  and  meeting  its  hearty 
approval,  Dickins  and  Morrell  were  appointed  a 
committee  to  wait  on  the  president  and  inform 
him  of  the  action  of  the  Conference,  and  request 
him  to  appoint  a  day  when  he  would  receive 
the  bishop,  who  would  read  the  address  and  receive 
his  answer. 

At  the  appointed  time,  accompanied  by  Dickins  and 
Morrell,  Asbury  was  introduced  to  the  president  in 
his  official  character,  and  in  a  clear  and  impressive 
manner  read  the  following : 

"SiR, — We,  the  bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episco 
pal  Church,  humbly  beg  leave,  in  the  name  of  our 
society  collectively  in  these  United  States,  to  express 
to  you  the  warm  feelings  of  our  hearts,  and  our  sin 
cere  congratulations  on  your  appointment  to  the 
presidentship  of  these  states.  We  are  conscious, 
from  the  signal  proofs  you  have  already  given,  that 
you  are  a  friend  of  mankind ;  and  under  this  estab- 


FRANCIS    ASBUEY.  283 

lished  idea,  place  as  full  confidence  in  your  wisdom 
and  integrity  for  the  preservation  of  those  civil  and 
religious  liberties  which  have  been  transmitted  to 
us  by  the  providence  of  God  and  the  glorious 
Kevolution,  as  we  believe  ought  to  be  reposed 
in  man. 

"  We  have  received  the  most  grateful  satisfaction 
from  the  humble  and  entire  dependence  on  the  great 
Governor  of  the  universe  which  you  have  repeatedly 
expressed,  acknowledging  him  the  source  of  every 
blessing,  and  particularly  of  the  most  excellent  Con 
stitution  of  these  States,  which  is  at  present  the  admi 
ration  of  the  world,  and  may  in  future  become  its 
great  exemplar  for  imitation;  and  hence  we  enjoy  a 
holy  expectation  that  you  will  always  prove  a  faithful 
and  impartial  patron  of  genuine,  vital  religion,  tho 
grand  end  of  our  creation  and  present  probationary 
existence.  And  we  promise  you  our  fervent  prayers 
to  the  throne  of  grace,  th^t  God  Almighty  may 
endue  you  with  all  the  graces  and  gifts  of  his  Holy 
Spirit,  that  he  may  enable  you  to  fill  up  your  import 
ant  station  to  his  glory,  the  good  of  his  Church,  the 
happiness  and  prosperity  of  the  United  States,  and 
the  welfare  of  mankind." 

After  Asbury  had  concluded,  Washington  rose  and 
read  in  a  calm  but  earnest  manner  the  following 
reply : 


234  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

"GENTLEMEN, — I  return  to  you  individually,  and 
through  you  to  your  society  collectively  in  the  United 
States,  my  thanks  for  the  demonstrations  of  affection, 
and  the  expressions  of  joy  offered  in  their  behalf,  on 
my  late  appointment.  It  shall  be  my  endeavor  to 
manifest  the  purity  of  my  inclinations  for  promoting 
the  happiness  of  mankind,  as  well  as  the  sincerity  of 
my  desires  to  contribute  whatever  may  be  in  my 
power  toward  the  civil  and  religious  liberties  of  the 
American  people.  In  pursuing  this  line  of  conduct, 
I  hope,  by  the  assistance  of  Divine  Providence,  not 
altogether  to  disappoint  the  confidence  which  you 
have  been  pleased  to  repose  in  me. 

"  It  always  affords  me  satisfaction  when  I  find  a 
concurrence  of  sentiment  and  practice  between  all 
conscientious  men,  in  acknowledgment  of  homage  to 
the  great  Governor  of  the  universe,  and  in  professions 
of  support  to  a  just  civil  government.  After  mention 
ing  that  I  trust  the  people  of  every  denomination,  who 
demean  themselves  as  good  citizens,  will  have  occa 
sion  to  be  convinced  that  I  shall  always  strive  to 
prove  a  faithful  and  impartial  patron  of  genuine, 
vital  religion,  I  must  assure  you  in .  particular,  that 
I  take  in  the  kindest  part  the  promise  you  make 
of  presenting  your  prayers  at  the  throne  of  grace 
for  me,  and  that  I  likewise  implore  the  Divine 
benediction  on  yourselves  and  your  religious  com 
munity," 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  235 

The  address  to  "Washington  was  signed  by  Bishops 
Coke  and  Asbury  in  behalf  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  the  United  States  of  America,  and  that  of 
"Washington  was  addressed  "  To  the  Bishops  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  the  United  States  of 
America."  Thus  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
was  the  very  first  in  an  ecclesiastical  capacity  to 
recognize  the  government  of  the  United  States,  and 
its  chief  magistrate,  in  a  public  and  formal  manner ; 
and  its  independent  organization  was  in  turn  recog 
nized  by  the  highest  authority  in  the  Union.  "With 
the  Presbyterian  and  other  Churches  it  was  an  after 
thought  to  present  similar  addresses,  but  nevertheless 
it  was  none  the  less  right  and  appropriate,  and  de 
serving  of  commendation,  on  that  account.  Though 
the  government  of  the  United  States  recognizes  no 
legal  union  with  the  Church  or  any  branch  of  it,  and 
has  in  consequence  been  denounced  by  our  enemies 
as  godless  and  antichristian,  it  has  nevertheless  from 
the  beginning  thrown  its  protecting  aegis  over  the 
Church,  and  as  sacredly  guards  the  rights  of  con 
science  as  it  does  the  freedom  of  political  opinion. 
Our  government  is  as  thoroughly  Christian,  both  in 
its  federal  and  state  capacity,  as  any  ecclesiastico-po- 
litical  establishment  in  the  world,  and  is  the  only  gov 
ernment  under  heaven  where  religious  liberty  exists. 

Among  the  Articles  of  Eeligion  of  the  Methodist 
Church  we  find  the  following  : — 


236  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

"  XXIII.  Of  the  Rulers  of  the  United  States  of 
America.  The  president,  the  congress,  the  general 
assemblies,  the  governors,  and  the  councils  of  state  as 
the  delegates  of  the  people,  are  the  rulers  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  according  to  the  division  of  power 
made  to  them  by  the  general  Act  of  Confederation 
and  by  the  Constitution  of  their  respective  states. 
And  the  said  states  ought  not  to  be  subject  to  any 
foreign  jurisdiction."  Subsequently  the  following 
note  was  added  :  "  As  far  as  it  respects  civil  affairs, 
we  believe  it  is  the  duty  of  Christians,  and  especial 
ly  all  Christian  ministers,  to  be  subject  to  the  supreme 
authority  of  the  country  where  they  may  reside,  and 
to  use  all  laudable  means  to  enjoin  obedience  to  the 
powers  that  Z>0,  and  therefore  it  is  expected  that  all 
our  preachers  and  people  who  may  be  under  the 
British  government,  or  any  other  government, 
will  behave  themselves  as  peaceable  and  orderly 
subjects." 

These  declarations  embrace  the  doctrine  of  the 
Church  in  regard  to  civil  government,  and  whoever 
is  not  governed  by  this  doctrine,  and  is  not  loyal  to 
the  government  where  he  resides,  cannot  be  a  Meth 
odist  of  the  American  stamp.  Asbury,  the  father 
and  founder  of  American  Methodism,  has  set  a  noble 
example  to  all  his  sons  in  the  ministry  in  his  attach 
ment  to  the  government,  and  the  respect  he  paid  to 
its  chief  rulers.  It  is  readily  admitted  that  the  chair 


FRANCIS    ASBURY. 

of  state  has  not  always  been  occupied  by  such  pure 
and  noble  men  as  Washington,  but  whoever  shall  in 
the  providence  of  God  be  called  or  permitted  to  fill 
that  place,  if  the  man  cannot  command  our  love,  the 
office  itself  should  command  our  respect. 

We  shall  close  this  chapter  by  a  quotation  from 
Asbury's  Journal,  referring  to  the  death  of  Washing 
ton.  It  is  a  noble  tribute,  worthy  of  its  author. 

"  Washington,  the  calm,  intrepid  chief,  the  disinter 
ested  friend,  first  father,  and  temporal  saviour  of  his 
country,  under  divine  protection  and  direction.  A 
universal  cloud  sat  upon  the  faces  of  the  citizens  of 
Charleston;  the  pulpits  clothed  in  black,  the  bells 
muffled,  the  paraded  soldiery,  the  public  oration 
decreed  to  be  delivered  on  Friday,  the  14th  of  this 
month,  a  marble  statue  to  be  placed  in  some  proper 
situation — these  were  the  expressions  of  sorrow,  and 
these  the  marks  of  respect  paid  by  his  fellow-citizens 
to  this  great  man.  I  am  disposed  to  lose  sight  of  all 
but  Washington.  Matchless  man !  At  all  times  he 
acknowledged  the  providence  of  God,  and  never  was 
he  ashamed  of  his  Redeemer.  We  believe  he  died 
not  fearing  death.  In  his  will  he  ordered  the  manu 
mission  of  his  slaves — >a  true  son  of  liberty  in  all 
points." 

While  at  Ellington,  Connecticut,  in  1794,  Asbury 
preached  in  a  school-house,  and  felt  great  dejection 
of  spirit  at  the  iron  walls  of  prejudice  which  existed, 


238  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

and  indulged  in  the  following  reflections  on  the  sub 
ject  of  religious  liberty  :  "  Out  of  the  fifteen  United 
States  thirteen  are  free,  but  two  are  fettered  with 
ecclesiastical  chains,  taxed  to  support  ministers  who 
are  chosen  by  a  small  committee  and  settled  for  life. 
My  simple  prophecy  is  that  this  must  come  to  an  end 
with  the  present  century.  The  Rhode  Islanders  be 
gan  in  time  and  are  free.  Hail,  sons  of  liberty !  Who 
first  began  the  war?  Was  it  not  Connecticut  and 
Massachusetts?  and  priests  are  now  saddled  upon 
them.  O  what  a  happy  people  would  these  be  if 
they  were  not  thus  priest-ridden !  I  heard  a  most 
severe  letter  from  a  citizen  of  Vermont  to  the  clergy 
and  Christians  of  Connecticut,  striking  at  the  founda 
tion  and  principle  of  the  hierarchy.  It  was  the  ex 
pression  of  the  Vermonters  to  continue  free  from 
ecclesiastical  fetters,  to  follow  the  Bible,  and  give 
equal  liberty  to  all  denominations  of  professing 
Christians." 

In  1796  he  read  Winterbotham's  Yiew  of  the 
United  States,  and  remarked  that  "he  had  compared 
the  great  talk  about  President  Washington  formerly 
with  what  some  say  and  write  of  him  now.  Accord 
ing  to  some  he  then  did  nothing  wrong;  it  is  now 
said  that  he  was  always  partial  to  aristocrats  and 
continental  officers.  As  to  the  latter  I  ask,  Who 
bought  the  liberty  of  the  states?  Did  not  the  con 
tinental  officers,  and  should  they  not  reap  a  little  of 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  2B9 

the  sweets  of  rest  and  peace.  These  were  not  chim 
ney-corner  whigs.  But  favors  to  many  of  the  officers 
would  now  come  too  late.  A  great  number  of  them 
are  gone  to  eternity,  their  constitutions  broken  with 
hard  fare  and  labor  during  the  war.  As  to  myself, 
the  longer  I  live  and  the  more  I  investigate,  the 
more  I  am  convinced  of,  and  the  more  I  applaud 
and  approve  of,  the  uniform  conduct  of  President 
Washington  in  all  the  important  stations  which  he 
has  filled." 


240  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 


CHAPTEE  XIII. 

Asbury  and  Coke  at  Port  Eoyal,  South  Carolina  —  Sad  Intelligence  of 
the  Death  of  Wesley  —  Tribute  —  Coke  left  for  Baltimore  to  take 
Passage  to  England  —  Preaches  a  Funeral  Sermon  in  Baltimore  —  Con 
ference  —  Conference  at  Duck  Creek  and  Trenton  —  New  York  — 
Asbury  preaches  before  the  Conference  on  the  Occasion  of  Wesley's 
Death  —  New  Haven  —  President  of  Yale  College  and  Professors  —  Col 
lege  Chapel  —  Uncourteous  Treatment  —  Providence  —  Boston  —  Dis 
couraged —  Lynn  —  Prophecy  —  Fulfillment  —  Letter  to  a  young  Minis 
ter —  Visits  various  Places  in  New  England  —  Keturns  to  New  York  — 
Journey  West  and  South  —  Tennessee  —  Indian  Depredations  —  Crosses 
the  Wilderness  —  Kentucky  —  Boone,  the  Pioneer  Hunter  —  Paradise 
for  the  Poor  Man —  Eock  Castle  Station —  Conference  at  Bethel  —  Prep 
arations  for  Return —  Alarm  —  Incidents  of  Travel  —  Watching  the  Sen 
tinels —  Land-marks  of  Travel  —  Conference  at  Lynn  —  Pittsfield  — 
Grand  Meeting  House  —  New  Divinity  Preacher — Character  of  Eastern 
People  —  Medicinal  Waters  of  Lebanon  —  Devil's  Tents  —  Conference 
at  Albany — Questions  of  Theology  discussed  —  Hudson  and  Ehine- 
beck  —  Conference  in  New  York  —  Love-Feast  —  Dr.  L.'s  Preaching  — 
Hospitality  of  Friends  —  Sermon  on  the  Lord's  Slipper  —  Dr.  Langdon 
on  Eevelations  —  Judge  White's  —  Milford  — Jefferson's  Notes  on  Vir 
ginia —  Incident  at  Judge  White's  —  Tribute  to  his  Memory. 

WHILE  Asbury  and  Coke  were  at  Port  Royal,  South 
Carolina,  in  the  spring  of  1791,  they  received  the  sad 
intelligence  of  the  death  of  Wesley.  We  find  in 
Asbury's  Journal  the  following  tribute  of  respect  for 
that  great  man  :  "  The  solemn  news  reached  our  ears 
that  the  public  papers  had  announced  the  death  of 
that  dear  man  of  God,  John  Wesley.  He  died  in  his 
own  house  in  London  in  the  eighty-eighth  year  of  his 
age,  after  preaching  the  Gospel  sixty -four  years. 


FRANCIS    APBL-KV.  241 

When  we  consider  his  plain  and  nervous  writings, 
his  uncommon  talent  for  sermonizing  and  journal 
izing,  that  he  had  such  a  steady  flow  of  animal 
spirits,  so  much  of  the  spirit  of  government  in  him, 
his  knowledge  as  an  observer,  his  attainments  as  a 
scholar,  his  experience  as  a  Christian,  I  conclude  his 
equal  is  not  to  be  found  among  all  the  sons  he  hath 
brought  up,  nor  his  superior  among  all  the  sons  of 
Adam  he  may  have  left  behind.  Brother  Coke  was 
sunk  in  spirit,  and  wished  to  start  home  immediately. 
For  myself,  notwithstanding  my  long  absence  from 
Mr.  Wesley,  and  a  few  unpleasant  expressions  in 
some  of  the  letters  the  dear  old  man  has  written  to 
me,  occasioned  by  the  misrepresentation  of  others,  I 
feel  the  stroke  most  sensibly,  and  I  expect  I  shall 
never  read  his  works  without  reflecting  on  the  loss 
which  the  Church  of  God  and  the  world  has  sus 
tained  by  his  death." 

Dr.  Coke  soon  left  for  Baltimore,  for  the  purpose 
of  taking  the  first  passage  that  should  offer  for  En 
gland.  Having  arrived  in  Baltimore,  he  preached 
on  the  occasion  of  the  death  of  Wesley  to  a  large 
congregation.  It  was  a  solemn  and  interesting  oc 
casion,  and  was  most  appropriately  improved.  Con 
ference  was  held  soon  after  in  that  city,  and  Asbury 
was  present  and  preached  on  the  succeeding  Sab 
bath.  From  hence  he  went  to  Duck  Creek,  where 

he  held  Conference,  and  frona  thence  to  the  Trenton 

16 


242  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

Conference.  After  attending  to  the  business  of  the 
Conference  he  proceeded  to  New  York.  The  mem 
bers  of  the  Conference,  which  consisted  of  about 
thirty  preachers,  and  the  members  of  the  two  Church 
es,  the  old  and  the  new.  united  in  requesting  Asbury 
to  preach  on  the  occasion  of  Wesley's  death,  which 
he  consented  to,  preaching  in  the  morning  in  the 
John-street,  and  in  the  afternoon  in  the  Forsyth-street 
church,  from  the  text,  "  But  thou  hast  fully  known 
my  doctrine,  manner  of  life,  purpose,  faith,  long- 
suffering,  charity,  patience,  persecutions,  afflictions, 
which  came  unto  me  at  Antioch,  at  Iconium,  at 
Lystra;  what  persecutions  I  endured;  but  out  of  them 
all  the  Lord  delivered  me."  It  was  said  by  those  who 
heard  these  discourses  that  they  were  worthy  of  their 
author  and  the  occasion  which  called  them  forth. 

After  the  close  of  this  Conference  the  bishop  went 
to  New  Haven,  Connecticut.  At  this  appointment 
he  had  the  president  of  Yale  College,  some  of  the 
professors  and  students,  and  quite  a  number  of  cit 
izens  as  hearers.  He  gives  the  division  of  his  sub 
ject  on  that  occasion:  "1.  What  we  must  be  saved 
from  ;  2.  What  has  been  esteemed  by  the  men  of 
the  world  as  the  wisdom  of  preaching;  3.  What  is 
meant  by  the  foolishness  of  preaching."  We  pre 
sume  from  the  division  that  the  text  was,  "  It  pleased 
God  by  the  foolishness  of  preaching  to  save  them 
that  believe."  After  he  had  finished  his  discourse 


FRANCIS    ASBUBY.  243 

no  one  came  forward  to  speak  to  him.  He  availed 
himself  of  the  opportunity  of  visiting  the  college 
chapel  during  the  hour  of  prayer,  and  had  a  desire 
to  visit  the  different  departments  of  the  college 
and  inspect  the  arrangements,  but  whether  they 
noticed  him  or  not  in  the  chapel,  neither  president 
nor  professors  deigned  to  pa}r  any  attention  to  him 
whatever.  If  this  was  designed,  which  we  are  rather 
inclined  to  think  was  the  case,  as  such  want  of  court 
esy  has  occurred  before  where  Methodist  preach 
ers  were  concerned,  it  was  unpardonable.  True 
wisdom  as  well  as  true  religion,  to  say  nothing  of 
politeness,  puts  not  on  such  supercilious  airs  as  char 
acterized  some  of  the  divines  of  that  day. 

From  New  Haven  he  went  to  Providence  and 
preached,  and  from  thence  to  Boston,  where  he  also 
preached ;  but  being  totally  disgusted  with  the  place 
and  its  want  of  hospitality,  he  exclaimed:  "I  am 
done  with  Boston  until  we  can  find  a  lodging-house 
to  preach  in,  and  some  to  join  us."  From  Boston  he 
rode  to  Lynn,  a  place  which  he  called  "  the  perfec 
tion  of  beauty,"  situated  on  a  plain  under  a  ridge  of 
craggy  hills  and  open  to  the  sea.  Here  he  found  a 
promising  society  and  an  exceedingly  well-behaved 
congregation.  "  Here,"  said  Asbury,  "we  shall  make 
a  firm  stand,  and  from  this  central  point  shall  the 
light  of  truth  and  Methodism  radiate  through  the 
state.  How  clearly  and  fully  this  prophecy  has  been 


244  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

fulfilled,  the  present  state  of  the  Church  in  Lynn,  the 
declarations  of  Parsons  Cooke  to  the  contrary  not 
withstanding,  abundantly  show.  While  here  he  wrote 
the  following  interesting  letter  to  Daniel  Filler,  a 
young  minister  who  had  been  sent  to  Halifax : 

"  MY  VERY  DEAR  BROTHER, — I  called  at  your  father's 
house,  and  spent  a  night  there  on  my  way  from  Old 
Town  Conference.  We  hope  the  dear  old  people 
will  make  their  way  to  glory.  They  will  long  greatly 
to  see  you  after  two  years.  You  will  return  to  the 
continent,  or  at  least  to  the  grand  American  Union, 
when  your  way  is  clear.  We  have  a  general  growth 
and  increase  of  souls.  I  hope  that  not  less  than  three 
thousand  will  be  made  subjects  of  grace  this  year. 
A  pretty  general  harmony  reigns  through  the  body 
as  to  traveling  preachers.  J.  0'K***y  is  nearly  left 
alone.  His  next  move  will  be  among  the  local  line 
and  the  membership.  Notwithstanding  our  trouble" 
the  work  goes  on  westward,  yet  the  savages  are  rest 
less.  I  expect  that  in  a  very  few  years  we  shall 
be  through  New  Hampshire,  Maine,  and  Vermont 
states,  and  so  become  near  neighbors  to  ISTova  Scotia. 

"I  fear  I  do  not  see  as  much  simplicity  in  our 
young  brethren  now  as  in  years  past.  The  love  of 
shining  in  dress  and  talents  appears  to  be  too  preva 
lent.  O  my  dear  child,  keep  humble,  watchful,  sim 
ple,  and  walk  with  God,  that  you  may  live  as  well  as 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  245 

preach  the  very  spirit  and  practice  of  the  Gospel. 
My  heart  is  toward  you  in  the  love  of  Jesus.  If  I 
should  see  you  again,  O  may  you  be  full  of  grace  and 
God !  Thine  as  ever." 

After  visiting  and  preaching  at  Salem,  Marble- 
head,  Manchester,  Waltham,  and  Hartford,  he  re 
turned  to  ISTew  York.  Remaining  here  for  a  short 
time,  attending  to  the  interests  of  the  Church  in  its 
various  departments,  he  took  up  the  line  of  his  jour 
ney  again  to  the  West.  After  passing  through  Penn 
sylvania,  Virginia,  North  and  South  Carolina,  he  ar 
rived  at  Tennessee.  Here  the  bishop  heard  accounts 
of  the  depredations  by  Indians,  which  had  produced 
a  good  deal  of  consternation  in  the  country.  He 
started  from  hence  again  to  the  wilderness,  with  a 
guard  to  protect  him  from  the  savages.  After  rest 
ing  on  Sabbath  at  Crabb's,  where  he  preached,  the 
company  entered  the  wilderness.  Some  were  on 
foot,  carrying  their  packs  on  their  shoulders.  Among 
the  number,  strange  to  say,  there  were  some  women 
with  their  children,  who  had  consented  to  brave  the 
dangers  of  the  wilderness,  and  seek  a  better  home  in 
the  rich  and  fertile  plains  of  the  "West.  Kentucky 
had  been  described  by  the  pioneer  hunter,  Boone, 
and  his  daring  companions,  who  penetrated  its  desert 
wilds  years  before,  as  a  very  paradise  for  the  poor 
man.  And  such  it  was,  abounding  in  every  variety 


246  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

of  game,  and  having  the  richest  and  most  luxuriant 
soil.  With  such  inducements  many  were  prompted 
to  leave  their  poor  inheritances  in  North  Carolina 
and  other  parts,  and  to  seek  a  better  home  in  the 
fertile  valley  beyond  the  Cumberland.  The  compa 
ny  at  length  reached  Laurel  River,  which  they  were 
compelled  to  swim.  When  they  reached  Rock  Cas 
tle  station,  Asbury  remarked  that  "  he  found  such  a 
set  of  sinners  as  made  that  place  next  door  to  hell 
itself."  The  next  day  they  were  obliged  to  reswim 
the  river  twice  in  their  journey.  Asbury's  horse  was 
well  nigh  worn  out,  as  was  himself,  being  thoroughly 
wet  all  day.  After  a  hard  day's  ride  they  reached 
the  Crab  Orchard  late  in  the  evening,  wet  and  weary. 
In  his  Journal  the  bishop  says  :  "  How  much  I  have 
suffered  in  this  journey  is  only  known  to  God  and 
myself.  What  added  much  to  its  disagreeableness  is 
the  extreme  filthiness  of  the  houses."  While  here  he 
wrote  an  address  in  behalf  of  the  Bethel  Academy, 
and  made  arrangements  for  improvements  in  the 
style  of  the  building,  which  was  ill  adapted  to  the 
purposes  for  which  it  was  erected. 

On  Wednesday,  April  25th,  1792,  the  Conference 
commenced  at  Bethel.  Yast  crowds  of  people  at 
tended  the  ministry.  After  presiding  and  making 
out  the  appointments  of  the  preachers,  he  made 
preparations  for  a  return  trip  across  the  wilderness. 
An  alarm  was  spreading  of  a  depredation  committed 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  24T 

by  the  Indians  on  the  east  and  west  frontier  of  the 
settlement.  It  was  reported  that  many  men  and 
women  were  killed.  The  consequence  of  such  in 
telligence  was  that  great  excitement  prevailed 
throughout  that  region.  The  party,  however,  start 
ed  on  their  journey,  determined  at  all  hazards  to 
brave  the  dangers.  When  the  bishop  reached 
Rock  Castle  he  was  well  nigh  worn  out  with  fa 
tigue.  With  a  violent  fever  and  pain  in  his  head 
he  stretched  himself  exhausted  on  the  cold  ground, 
and  borrowing  clothes  to  keep  himself  warm,  he  was 
enabled  to  sleep  four  or  five  hours.  At  the  next 
stopping-place  he  could  have  slept  more  comforta 
bly,  but  was  deterred  from  closing  his  eyes  .on  ac 
count  of  the  proximity  of  the  Indians.  Seeing  the 
drowsiness  of  the  company  he  could  not  be  persuaded 
to  lie  down,  but  walked  the  encampment  and  watched 
the  sentries  during  the  entire  night.  The  company 
consisted  of  thirty-six.  At  length  he  reached  Vir 
ginia  and  proceeded  to  Half-acres,  and  from  thence 
went  to  Holstein,  where  the  Conference  for  this  re 
gion  was  held. 

Passing  through  a  valley  where  there  were  fifty 
miles  without  a  house,  he  came  to  Uniontown.  We 
find  in  his  Journal  but  the  merest  sketch  of  his  rides 
and  stopping-places,  but  as  landmarks  we  are  ena 
bled  by  them  to  trace  his  journeys  round  the  conti 
nent  from  year  to  year.  Again  he  is  in  Pennsylvania 


248  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

and  Maryland,  New  Jersey,  New  York,  Connecticut, 
and  Massachusetts,  everywhere  preaching  the  word. 
As  the  angel  of  the  Apocalypse  flying  in  mid-heaven 
with  the  everlasting  Gospel  to  preach  to  all  nations, 
so  this  pioneer  bishop  literally  flew  from  state  to 
state,  and  from  territory  to  territory,  with  the  mes 
sages  of  salvation. 

The  Conference  for  the  Eastern  division  of  the 
work  \vas  held  this  year  at  Lynn,  where  Asbury  met 
eight  preachers  and  transacted  the  business  of  the 
Church.  A  church  edifice  had  been  commenced, 
and  was  partly  finished,  in  which  there  was  preach 
ing  every  night  during  the  session  of  the  Conference 
by  one  of  its  members  selected  for  the  occasion.  The 
ordination  sermon  preached  by  the  bishop  on  this 
occasion  was  from  the  text,  "Not  that  we  are  suf 
ficient  of  ourselves  to  think  anything  as  of  ourselves  ; 
but  our  sufficiency  is  of  God ;  who  also  hath  made  us 
able  ministers  of  the  New  Testament ;  not  of  the  let 
ter,  but  of  the  spirit;  for  the  letter  killeth,  but  the 
spirit  giveth  life."  From  hence  Asbury  went  to 
Pittsfield,  which  he  describes  as  "a  pleasant  plain 
reaching  from  mountain  to  mountain,  with  a  popula 
tion  of  two  thousand  souls.  There  was  a  grand  meet 
ing-house  and  steeple,  both  of  which  were  as  white 
and  glistening  as  Solomon's  temple.  The  minister  was 
on  the  new  divinity  plan."  Asbury  enjoyed  here  the 
privilege  of  "  retiring  alone  to  the  cool  sylvan  shade 


FRANCIS   ASBUKY.  249 

in  frequent  converse  with  his  best  Friend."  "We 
held,"  says  the  bishop,  "our  meeting  in  a  noble 
house  built  for  Baptists,  Separatists,  or  somebody,  and 
is  now  occupied  by  the  Methodists.  A  large  and  at 
tentive  congregation  was  present.  The  Eastern  people 
are  not  to  be  moved  it  is  true ;  they  are  too  accus 
tomed  to  hear  systematical  preaching  to  be  moved 
by  a  systematical  sermon  even  by  a  Methodist ;  but 
they  have  their  feelings,  and  touch  but  the  right 
string  and  they  will  be  moved." 

He  thus  describes  Lebanon,  in  the  State  of  New 
York  :  "  The  medicinal  waters  here  are  soft,  pure,  and 
light,  with  no  small  quantity  of  fixed  air.  I  found  a 
poor  bath-house.  Here  the  devil's  tents  are  set  up, 
and,  as  is  common  at  these  encampments,  his  children 
are  doing  his  drudgery."  From  hence  he  went  to 
Albany  and  met  twenty-one  preachers  in  Conference. 
The  occasion  was  one  of  great  peace  and  harmony. 
Two  deacons  and  four  elders  were  elected  and  or 
dained.  Each  preacher  was  called  upon  to  relate  his 
experience,  and  the  incidents  connected  writh  his  itin 
erancy  since  the  last  session.  These  conversations 
not  only  embraced  personal  experience,  but  a  review 
of  doctrines  and  modes  of  preaching.  At  this  Con 
ference  Jonathan  Newman  was  appointed  mission 
ary  to  the  whites  and  Indians  on  the  frontier.  An 
other  was  sent  to  Cataraqui.  The  questions  of 
theology  discussed  were  the  following:  "1.  How 


250  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

are  we  to  deal  with  sinners?  2.  How  should  we 
treat  with  mourners?  3.  In  what  manner  should 
hypocrites  be  addressed?  4.  How  should  we  deal 
with  backsliders?  5.  What  is  the  best  kind  of 
preaching  for  believers?"  A  discussion  of  these 
questions  we  think  might  be  profitable  at  the  pres 
ent  day.  They  are  certainly  vastly  more  relevant, 
and  more  in  accordance  with  the  peculiar  vocation 
of  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  than  many  other  sub 
jects  which  not  only  seem  to  engross  councils,  assem 
blies,  and  Conferences,  but  the  pulpit  itself,  and 
which  in  many  instances  engender  strifes  and  hinder 
the  progress  of  religion.  Preaching  was  held  in  the 
market-house,  and  the  meetings  were  lively  and  in 
teresting.  About  4wo  hundred  conversions  had  oc 
curred  in  the  district  since  the  former  session  of  the 
Conference.  From  hence  Asbury  rode  to  Hudson 
and  Rhinebeck,  and  dined  on  his  way  to  New 
Rochelle  at  Governor  Yan  Cortlandt's.  At  New 
Rochelle  he  held  quarterly  meeting,  and  preached  to 
large  congregations  with  great  liberty. 

September  27th  Conference  opened  in  New  York, 
twenty-eight  preachers  being  present.  Most  of  the 
afternoon  of  the  first  day  was  spent  in  prayer  and 
the  relation  of  ministerial  experience.  The  occasion 
was  one  of  unusual  interest.  A  Conference  love- 
feast  was  held  on  Friday.  We  will  let  Asbury,  in 
his  own  quaint,  nervous,  laconic  style,  describe  the 


FKANCIS    ASBURY.  251 

thoughts  which  occupied  his  mind  at  this  Confer 
ence:  "My  mind  has  been  so  bent  to  the  business  of 
the  Conference  that  I  have  slept  but  little  this  week. 
Connecticut  is  supplied  much  to  my  mind,  several 
very  promising  young  men  having  been  admitted 
into  this  Conference.  The  societies  are  in  harmony, 
but  not  as  lively  as  they  should  be.  I  went  to  hear 
Dr.  L.,  but  was  greatly  disappointed ;  he  had  such  a 
rumbling  voice  that  I  could  understand  but  little  in 
that  great  house.  How  elegant  the  building !  How 
small  the  appearance  of  religion !  Lord  have  mercy 
upon  the  Reformed  Churches.  O  ye  dry  bones,  hear 
the  word  of  the  Lord.  1  was  much  obliged  to  my 
friend  for  renewing  my  clothing  and  giving  me  a  lit 
tle  pocket-money;  this  is  better  than  £500  per  an 
num.  I  told  some  of  our  preachers  who  were  very 
poor  how  happy  they  were,  and  that  probably  had 
they  more  their  wants  would  proportionally  increase." 

It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  New  York  sup 
plied,  or  mostly  supplied,  Asbury  with  clothing  and 
outfits  for  his  journey.  At  least,  if  he  obtained  help 
from  other  places,  with  the  exception  of  Baltimore, 
of  this  description,  he  did  not  make  it  so  frequently 
a  matter  of  record.  In  numerous  instances  he  no 
tices  the  hospitality  and  benevolence  of  friends  in 
New  York. 

On  Sabbath  the  bishop  preached  a  sermon,  prepara 
tory  to  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  supper,  from  the 


252  LIFE    AND   TIMES    OF 

text,  "Purge  out  therefore  the  old  leaven,  that  ye 
may  be  a  new  lump,  as  ye  are  unleavened.  For  even 
Christ  our  passover  is  sacrificed  for  us :  therefore 
let  us  keep  the  feast,  not  with  old  leaven,  neither  with 
the  leaven  of  malice  and  wickedness ;  but  with  the 
unleavened  bread  of  sincerity  and  truth."  His  ob 
ject  was  to  show  the  points  of  similitude  between  the 
passover  and  the  supper  of  the  Lord,  in  which  he 
noticed  the  simplicity  and  purity  of  bread  instead  of 
the  flesh  of  an  animal,  and  wine  instead  of  the  blood 
of  a  creature ;  wine,  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  grace, 
the  life  of  our  souls.  He  showed  that  true  penitents 
and  real  believers  were  proper  communicants ;  and 
also  described  the  manner  in  which  the  sacrament 
was  to  be  taken,  not  with  unleavened  bread,  but  with 
sincerity  and  truth. 

On  his  route  from  New  York  he  stopped  at  his  old 
friend  Judge  White's,  in  Delaware,  which  we  believe 
is  the  only  place  in  all  his  Journal,  with  the  excep 
tion  of  Sherwood's,  that  he  calls  "A<?m0." 

In  reading  Dr.  Langdon  on  Revelation,  he  re 
marks  :  "  I  find  little  new  or  very  spiritual.  He  is 
like  the  Newtons,  and  all  historical  interpreters ;  one 
thing  is  wanting.  And  might  not  an  interpreter 
show  the  present  time  foretold  by  these  signs,  which 
plainly  point  to  the  why  and  the  wherefore  it  is  that 
some  are  Christian  bishops  and  Christian  dissertators 
on  prophecy?  A  bishopric  with  one,  or  two,  or 


FKANCIS    ASBURY.  253 

three  thousand  sterling  a  year  as  an  appendage 
might  determine  the  most  hesitating  in  their  choice. 
I  see  no  reason  why  a  heathen  philosopher,  who  had 
enough  of  this  world's  wisdom  to  see  the  advantages 
of  wealth  and  honors,  should  not  say,  ;  Give  me  a 
bishopric  and  I  will  be  a  Christian.'  In  the  eastern 
states  also  there  are  very  good  and  sufficient  reasons 
for  the  faith  of  the  favored  ministry.  Ease,  honor, 
interest;  what  follows?  Idolatry,  superstition,  death." 

After  remaining  at  Judge  White's  for  a  few  days 
he  proceeded  to  Milford,  where  he  preached  and  held 
a  Conference  with  the  local  preachers.  From  thence 
he  traveled  on  from  one  quarterly  meeting  to 
another,  holding  local  preachers'  Conferences,  and 
preaching  until  he  came  round  again  to  White's. 
While  here  this  time  he  read  Jefferson's  Notes  on 
Virginia,  a  book  full  of  romantic  incidents  of  border- 
life  ;  and  it  was  at  this  place  he  made  the  remark  that 
he  "thought  it  safer  for  him  to  be  occasionally 
among  the  people  of  the  world  than  wholly  confined 
to  the  indulgent  people  of  God.  He  who  sometimes 
suffers  from  a  famine  will  better  know  how  to  relish 
a  feast," 

The  following  interesting  incident  in  connection 
with  his  visits  to  this  place  is  given  by  the  Hon. 
Isaac  Davis : 

"During  the  time  when  Governor  Bassett  was  a 
practicing  lawyer  in  the  town  of  Dover,  Delaware, 


254  LIFE    AND   TIMES    OF 

previously  to  his  election  to  the  post  of  chief  magis 
trate  of  the  state,  it  was  his  custom,  in  the  business 
of  his  profession,  to  attend  the  sittings  of  the  court  in 
Denton,  Md.,  and  he  often,  when  on  his  way  to  and 
from  Denton,  would  spend  a  night  with  his  friend 
Judge  White,  where  Bishop  Asbury  enjoyed  the 
comforts  of  a  home  wnen  in  the  state,  and  where  he 
found  a  secure  retreat  for  two  or  three  years  during 
the  Revolutionary  struggle. 

"  On  one  of  these  periodical  visits,  Judge  White 
being  absent,  his  amiable  wife  received  and  enter 
tained  their  guest.  It  was  not  long,  however,  before 
Mr.  Bassett  observed  other  gentlemen  present  besides 
himself,  when  he  sought  Mrs.  White,  and  inquired 
with  evident  perturbation : 

" '  Madam,  who  are  these  gentlemen  dressed  in 
black?' 

"  Mrs.  White,  knowing  that  Methodist  preachers 
were  not  in  very  high  repute,  answered  evasively, 
'  They  are  gentlemen  here  on  very  important  busi 
ness.' 

"  Th*is  indefinite  reply  not  being  satisfactory  to  Mr. 
Bassett,  he  insisted  further : 

"  '  Madam,  I  should  like  to  know  who  these  gentle 
men  are.' 

"When  Mrs.  White  replied,  'They  are  Mr.  As 
bury  and  his  preachers.' 

"This  information  was  no  sooner  received  than  Mr. 


FRANCIS    ASBUKY.  255 

Bassett  determined  to  leave,  and  said  to  his  hostess, 
< 1  must  have  my  horse.' 

"Mrs.  White,  understanding  the  case  perfectly, 
replied,  '  You  cannot  leave  to-night,  sir.' 

"Mr.  Bassett  still  demanded,  ll  must  have  my 
horse,  I  must  be  gone.' 

"But  Mrs.  White  more  positively  declared  he 
must  not  leave,  when  he  resigned  himself  to  his  fate, 
and  submitted  to  the  infliction  of  an  evening  with 
the  bishop  and  his  colaborers ;  after  which  he  was 
constrained  to  admit  they  were  not  the  most  uninter 
esting  in  the  world,  and,  as  an  act  of  courtesy,  he  in 
vited  Mr.  Asbury  to  visit  him  the  next  time  he 
should  come  into  Dover.  When  Mr.  Bassett  re 
turned  home  he  told  his  wife  of  his  adventure,  and 
concluded  by  saying,  '  I  have  invited  the  Methodist 
bishop  to  visit  us.  And  what  will  we  do,  my  dear, 
should  he  come?' 

" '  Do  the  best  we  can,'  was  the  only  reply. 

"  Shortly  after  Mr.  Bassett  was  busily  engaged  in 
his  office.  Happening  to  raise  his  eyes,  and  looking 
out  on  the  green,  he  saw  a  venerable  form  on  horse 
back,  riding  leisurely  toward  his  door,  whom  he  soon 
recognized  to  be  none  other  than  the  veritable  Meth 
odist  bishop  he  had  met  at  Judge  White's;  he 
quickly  informed  his  wife  of  the  arrival,  who  ran  up 
stairs  in  a  fright.  Mr.  Bassett  cast  about  in  his  mind 
how  he  should  entertain  his  rather  unwelcome  guest ; 


"256  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

his  plan  was  decided  upon  ;  invitations  were  sent  to 
the  most  distinguished  gentlemen  in  the  neighbor 
hood  ;  the  lawyers,  doctors,  and  clergymen  were 
all  called  in  ;  Mr.  Bassett  thought  to  overwhelm  the 
poor  Methodist  bishop  with  an  array  of  intellect ;  but 
Mr.  Asbury  seemed  perfectly  composed  and  at  home 
among  gentlemen,  After  supper  the  conversation 
took  a  more  decidedly  literary  character,  and  among 
other  things  a  recent  publication  came  up,  upon 
which  several  criticisms  were  passed,  Mr.  Asbury's 
being  the  clearest,  most  comprehensive,  and  intelli 
gent.  The  company  conceded  to  him  his  proper 
place.  They  became  listeners,  and  he  the  delight  of 
every  person  present ;  and  from  that  evening  party 
must  be  reckoned  the  beginning  of  Mr.  Asbury's 
popularity  in  Dover. 

"  The  best  of  the  story  remains  to  be  told.  By  re 
quest,  Mr.  Asbury  preached  the  next  evening  to  a 
large  and  intelligent  audience.  Mrs.  Bassett  gave 
him  a  hearing  from  her  piazza,  fearing  to  venture 
nearer;  next  night  from  the  door  of  the  house  in 
which  the  bishop  preached ;  the  third  night  she  min 
gled  in  the  congregation,  and  soon  after  was  con 
verted,  and  proved  the  first-fruits  of  Bishop  Asbury's 
labors  in  Dover.  Who  can  fail  to  note  the  hand  of 
Providence  in  this  whole  affair,  from  the  beginning 
to  the  ending?'" 

The   bishop    paid   the   following   merited   tribute 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  25? 

to  the  memory  of  Judge  White.  As  this  was  his 
home  during  a  portion  of  the  dark  troublous  times 
of  the  Kevolutionarj  war,  when  the  preachers  fled 
from  the  country,  and  others  were  fined  and  im 
prisoned  for  their  adherence  to  the  British  govern 
ment,  and  he  found  in  this  family  a  safe  retreat,  he 
could  not  but  feel,  as  lie  expresses  himself  on  hearing 
of  the  death  of  the  judge,  most  sadly  : 

"  Thursday,  May  21, 1795.  This  day  I  heard  of  the 
death  of  one  among  my  best  friends  in  America, 
Judge  White,  of  Kent  county,  in  the  state  of  Dela 
ware.  This  news  was  attended  with  an  awful  shock 
to  me.  I  have  met  with  nothing  like  it  in  the  death 
of  any  friend  on  the  continent.  Lord,  help  us  all  to 
live  out  our  short  day  to  thy  glory !  I  have  lived 
days,  weeks,  and  months  in  his  house.  O  that  his 
removal  may  be  sanctified  to  my  good  and  the  good 
of  the  family !  He  was  about  sixty-five  years  of  age. 
He  was  a  friend  to  the  poor  and  oppressed ;  he  had 
been  a  professed  Churchman,  and  was  united  to  the 
Methodist  connection  about  seventeen  or  eighteen 
years.  His  house  and  heart  were  always  open,  and 
he  was  a  faithful  friend  to  liberty  in  spirit  and  prac 
tice;  he  was  a  most  indulgent  husband,  a  tender 
father,  and  an  affectionate  friend.  He  professed 
perfect  love  and  great  peace,  living  and  dying." 

17 


258  LITE    AND    TIMES    OF 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Coke's  Return  from  England  —  A  Crisis  in  the  History  of  the  Church  — 
Statistics  in  1792  —  Friction  in  the  Machinery  of  Methodism -- Power 
of  the  Episcopacy  —  Causes  which  led  to  the  Formation  of  the  General 
Conference  —  Plan  of  a  Council  —  Plan  Adopted  —  Minutes  of  the  First 
Council  —  Members  present  —  Constitution  —  Resolutions  —  Second 
Council  —  Members  present  —  O'Kelly — Opposition  of  Lee  —  Last 
Council  held  —  Call  for  a  General  Conference  —  Duly  organized  —  By 
laws  adopted  —  Review  of  the  Discipline — Episcopal  Power — O'Kel- 
ly's  Resolution  —  Asbury  withdraws  from  the  Conference  Room  —  His 
Letter  to  the  Conference  —  Discussion  —  Episcopacy  sustained  —  Sub 
sequent  Revival  of  the  Question  —  Methodist  Protestant  Church  —  Lee's 
History  —  Questions  pertaining  to  the  Election,  Ordination,  and  Trial 
of  a  Bishop  —  Presiding  Elder  Question  —  Duties  defined  —  Provision 
for  Traveling  Preachers'  Wives  —  Salary  —  John  Dickins  appointed 
Agent  of  Book  Concern — Fee  for  performing  Marriage  Ceremony  — 
Money  to  be  given  to  the  Conference — Presents  to  be  accounted  for — 
Certificate  of  Removal  —  Rule  of  Arbitration  adopted  —  Chapter  on 
Public  Worship  —  Asbury's  Reflections  on  the  General  Conference  — 
Opinion  of  O'Kelly  —  Revision  of  the  Discipline  —  End  of  the  Session 
—  Another  General  Conference  agreed  upon. 

COKE  having  returned  from  England,  whither  he  had 
gone  soon  after  receiving  intelligence  of  Wesley's 
death,  the  two  bishops  again  met  in  Baltimore  just 
on  the  eve  of  the  General  Conference.  An  import 
ant  crisis  had  now  arrived  in  the  history  of  the  Meth 
odist  Episcopal  Church.  Under  the  superintendency 
of  Asbury  the  difficulties  which  in  other  days  had 
threatened  its  peace  and  unity  had  all  been  hap 
pily  adjusted.  A  separate  and  distinct  organization, 
effected  through  the  advice  and  by  the  authority  of 


FRANCIS    ASBUKY.  259 

Wesley  at  the  general  convention  of  the  preachers  in 
Baltimore  in  1784,  while  it  removed  all  the  obstacles 
out  of  the  way  of  the  exercise  of  full  ministerial  func 
tions  by  the  ministers,  at  the  same  time  invested 
the  Church  with  every  right  and  prerogative  to  adopt 
whatever  articles  of  religion  it  deemed  wise  and 
proper,  as  well  as  to  make  all  the  laws  and  regula 
tions  necessary  for  its  government.  Under  this  state 
of  things  the  Church  continued  to  prosper,  and  in 
1792  the  membership  had  increased  to  sixty-five 
thousand  nine  hundred  and  eighty,  and  the  ministry 
to  two  hundred  and  sixty-six.  The  Church  had  also 
enlarged  the  area  of  her  territory,  and  extended  it 
from  Massachusetts  to  Georgia.  Twenty  Conferences 
instead  of  three  were  now  held  annually,  and  the 
number  was  increasing  yearly,  so  wonderfully  did 
the  work  of  the  Lord  spread  and  prevail.  While 
these  eight  years  had  wrought  changes  in  the  exter 
nal  appearance  of  Methodism,  and  everywhere  there 
appeared  the  most  evident  signs  of  prosperity,  there 
were  nevertheless,  to  the  eye  of  the  ever  watchful 
Asbury,  signs  of  discontent.  The  vast  and  efficient 
machinery  put  so  successfully  in  operation  was  not 
without  its  friction.  It  was  thought  by  some  that 
the  power  of  the  episcopacy  was  brought  to  bear  too 
strongly  upon  the  preachers ;  or,  in  other  words,  that 
the  prerogative  of  the  bishop  to  appoint  preachers 
at  his  pleasure  required  some  restriction.  One  of  the 


260  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

presiding  elders  had  indulged  to  a  considerable  ex 
tent  in  remarks  against  the  exercise  of  this  power, 
and  had  to  the  extent  of  his  influence  created  quite  a 
sentiment  in  opposition.  It  was  this,  with  other  mat 
ters  of  moment  connected  with  the  interests  of  the 
Church,  that  led  the  Council,  which  constituted  the 
highest  judiciary  in  the  Church  at  that  time,  to  sug 
gest  the  propriety  of  calling  a  General  Conference, 
to  be  composed  of  all  the  preachers  in  full  con 
nection. 

Before  proceeding  to  describe  the  deliberations  and 
acts  of  this  General  Conference,  we  deem  it  proper 
to  bring  to  view  more  specifically  the  causes  which 
led  to  its  formation.  In  1789  considerable  discussion 
was  had  on  the  subject  of  a  General  Conference.  To 
obviate  the  necessity  of  such  a  general  convoca 
tion,  the  bishops  presented  to  the  Conferences  the 
plan  of  a  Council.  It  was  introduced  by  the  follow 
ing  preamble :  "  Whereas  the  holding  of  General 
Conferences  on  this  extensive  continent  would  be  at 
tended  with  a  variety  of  difficulties  and  many  incon 
veniences  to  the  work  of  God ;  and  whereas  we 
judge  it  expedient  that  a  council  should  be  formed 
of  chosen  men  out  of  the  several  districts  as  repre 
sentatives  of  the  whole  connection,  to  meet  at  stated 
times,  Therefore,"  etc, 

To  the  questions,  "  In  what  manner  shall  this  coun 
cil  be  formed  ?  what  shall  be  its  powers  ?  and  what 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  261 

the  regulations  concerning  it  ?"  the  following  answer 
was  given : 

"  1.  Our  bishops  and  presiding  elders  shall  be  the 
members  of  this  Council,  provided  that  the  members 
who  form  it  shall  never  be  less  than  nine.  If  any 
unavoidable  circumstance  prevent  the  attendance  of 
a  presiding  elder  at  the  Council,  he  shall  have  au 
thority  to  send  another  elder  out  of  his  own  district 
to  represent  him ;  but  the  elder  so  sent  shall  not  take 
his  seat  in  the  Council  without  the  consent  of  the 
bishop,  or  bishops,  and  presiding  elders  present. 
And  if,  after  the  above-mentioned  provisions  are 
complied  with,  any  unavoidable  circumstance  or 
contingency  arise  so  as  to  reduce  the  number  to 
less  than  nine,  the  bishop  shall  immediately  sum 
mon  such  elders  as  do  not  preside  to  complete  the 
number. 

"2.  The  Council  shall  have  authority  to  mature 
everything  they  shall  judge  expedient,  (1.)  To  pre 
serve  the  general  union.  (2.)  To  render  and  preserve 
the  external  form  of  worship  similar  in  all  our  socie 
ties  throughout  the  continent.  (3.)  To  preserve  the 
essentials  of  Methodist  doctrine  and  discipline  pure 
and  uncorrupted.  (4.)  To  correct  all  abuses  and  dis 
orders.  (5.)  To  mature  everything  they  may  see 
necessary  for  the  good  of  the  Church,  and  for  the 
promotion  and  improvement  of  our  colleges  and 
plan  of  education. 


262  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

"3.  Provided,  nevertheless,  that  nothing  shall  be 
received  as  the  resolution  of  the  Council  unless  it  be 
assented  to  unanimously  by  the  Council,  and  nothing 
so  assented  to  by  the  Council  shall  be  binding  in  any 
district  (Conference)  till  it  has  been  agreed  upon  by 
a  majority  of  the  Conference  which  is  held  for  that 
district. 

"4.  The  bishops  shall  have  authority  to  summon 
the  Council  to  meet  at  such  times  and  places  as  they 
shall  judge  expedient." 

Though  considerable  opposition  was  manifested  to 
this  plan,  and  it  was  regarded  as  a  dangerous  inno 
vation,  yet,  after  due  deliberation,  it  was  adopted  by 
a  majority  and  became  a  part  of  the  Discipline  of  the 
Church.  As  it  may  be  interesting  to  the  reader,  merely 
as  a  matter  of  history,  we  copy  from  Lee's  History  of 
Methodism  the  minutes  of  the  first  Council,  which  was 
held  in  Baltimore  December  1,  1789.  The  follow 
ing  members  were  present :  Francis  Asbury,  bishop  ; 
Kichard  Ivy,  Eeuben  Ellis,  Edward  Morris,  James 
O'Kelly,  Philip  Bruce,  Lemuel  Green,  Nelson  Keed, 
Joseph  Everitt,  John  Dickins,  James  O.  Cromwell, 
Freeborn  Garrettson,  elders."  When  the  Council 
was  constituted,  an  hour  was  spent  in  prayer  to  Al 
mighty  God  for  his  direction  and  blessing.  "They 
then  unanimously  agreed  that  a  General  Conference 
of  the  bishop,  ministers,  and  preachers  of  the  Meth 
odist  Episcopal  Church  on  the  continent  of  America 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  263 

would  be  attended  with  a  variety  of  difficulties,  with 
great  expense  and  loss  of  time,  as  well  as  many  in 
conveniences  to  the  work  of  God." 

The  Council  then  proceeded  to  form  the  following 
constitution,  embracing  its  several  duties : 

"1.  To  render  the  time  and  form  of  public  wor 
ship  as  similar  as  possible  in  all  the  congregations. 

"2.  To  preserve  the  general  union  of  the  minis 
ters,  preachers,  and  people  in  the  Methodist  doctrine 
and  Discipline. 

"  3.  To  direct  and  manage  all  the  printing  which 
may  be  done  from  time  to  time  for  the  use  and  bene 
fit  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  America. 

"  4.  To  conduct  the  plan  of  education,  arid  manage 
all  matters  which  may  from  time  to  time  pertain  to 
any  college  or  house  built  or  about  to  be  built  as 
the  property  of  the  Methodist  connection. 

"  5.  To  remove,  or  receive  and  appoint  the  salary 
of  any  tutors  from  time  to  time  employed  in  any 
seminary  of  learning  belonging  to  the  said  con 
nection. 

"  6.  In  the  interval  of  the  Council  the  bishop 
shall  have  power  to  act  in  all  contingent  occurrences 
relative  to  the  printing  business  or  the  education  and 
economy  of  the  college. 

"  7.  Nine  members,  and  no  less,  shall  be  competent 
to  form  a  Council,  which  may  proceed  to  business. 

"  8.  No  resolution  shall  be  formed  in  such  a  Coim- 


264  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

cil  without  the  consent  of  the  bishop  and  two-thirds 
of  the  members  present." 

After  adopting  the  above  constitution,  the  Council 
then  passed  unanimously  the  following  resolutions : 

"  1.  Every  resolution  of  the  Council  shall  be  put 
to  vote  in  each  Conference,  and  shall  not  be  adopted 
unless  it  obtains  a  majority  of  the  different  Confer 
ences.  But  every  resolution  which  is  received  by  a 
majority  of  the  several  Conferences  shall  be  received 
by  every  member  of  each  Conference. 

"2.  Public  worship  shall  commence  at  ten  o'clock 
on  the  Lord's  day  in  all  places  where  we  have  socie 
ties  and  regular  preaching,  if  it  be  practicable,  and 
if  not  at  eleven  o'clock. 

"  3.  The  exercises  of  public  worship  on  the  Lord's 
day  shall  be  singing,  prayer,  and  reading  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  with  exhortation  or  reading  a  sermon  in 
the  absence  of  a  preacher,  and  the  officiating  person 
shall  be  appointed  by  the  elder,  deacon,  or  traveling 
preacher  for  the  time  being. 

"  4.  For  the  future  no  more  houses  shall  be  built 
for  public  worship  without  the  consent  and  direction 
of  the  Conference  and  presiding  elder  of  the  district, 
unless  a  house  should  be  built  under  the  direction  of 
the  presiding  elder  and  traveling  preachers  on  the 
circuit  and  finished  without  the  least  debt  remaining 
on  it. 

"  5.  It  is  required  that  all  the  parents  and  guard- 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  265 

ians  of  independent  scholars  in  Cokesbury  College 
may  punctually  pay  for  the  students'  tuition  and 
board  on  or  before  the  first  of  December  in  every 
year,  as  none  will  be  continued  there  more  than  a 
year  on  credit,  but  will  be  immediately  sent  home  in 
case  of  non-payment.  And  for  the  future,  at  least 
one  fourth  of  the  price  of  twelve  months'  board  and 
tuition  must  be  sent  with  every  scholar  who  comes 
from  the  adjacent  states,  and  half  the  said  price  with 
every  scholar  who  comes  from  any  distant  state. 

"6.  Every  minister,  preacher,  and  private  mem 
ber  shall  be  permitted,  and  is  hereby  earnestly  re 
quested,  to  devise  some  means,  and  either  bring  or 
send  his  proposals  to  the  next  Council  for  the  pur 
pose  of  laying  some  scheme  for  relieving  our  dear 
brethren  who  labor  in  the  extremities  of  the  work 
and  do  not  receive  more  than  six,  eight,  ten,  twelve, 
or  fifteen  pounds  per  annum. 

"  7.  Every  deacon  shall  be  three  years  in  a  state 
of  probation  before  he  can  be  elected  to  the 
eldership. 

"  8.  Considering  the  weight  of  the  connection,  the 
concerns  of  the  college,  and  the  printing  business,  it 
is  resolved  that  another  Council  shall  be  held  on  the 
1st  of  December,  1790." 

The  second  Council,  which  had  by  this  last  resolu 
tion  been  provided  for,  was  held  in  pursuance  there 
with  in  the  city  of  Baltimore.  Bishop  Asbury. 


266  LIFE    AKD    TIMES    OF 

F.  Garrettson,  F.  Poythress,  1ST.  Reed,  J.  Dickins, 
P.  Bruce,  J.  Smith,  T.  Bowen,  J.  O.  Cromwell, 
J.  Everitt,  and  C.  Conoway  were  present.  The  first 
business  done  was  to  settle  the  question  relating  to 
the  power  with  which  the  electors  had  invested  the 
Council,  and  this  they  did  by  declaring  unanimously 
that  they  were  invested  with  full  power  to  act  de 
cisively  in  all  temporal  matters,  and  that  it  was  their 
prerogative  to  recommend  to  the  several  Conferences 
any  new  canons  or  alterations  to  be  made  in  any  old 
ones.  Various  other  matters  were  disposed  of,  and 
the  Council  adjourned  to  meet  again  the  next  year. 
O'Kelly,  who  had  attended  the  first  Council,  refused 
to  be  present ;  and  such  was  his  opposition,  and  that 
of  Lee  and  others,  to  what  they  regarded  as  an  un 
warranted  assumption  of  power,  that  no  Council  was 
ever  afterward  held,  and  it  became  obvious  that 
nothing  would  meet  the  wants  of  the  preachers  and 
people  generally  but  a  General  Conference.  This 
was  agreed  to,  and  accordingly  on  the  1st  day  of 
November,  1792,  the  preachers  in  the  regular  work 
collected  together  from  all  parts  of  the  country  and 
took  their  seats  in  General  Conference  assembled  in 
the  city  of  Baltimore. 

Bishops  Coke  and  Asbury  being,  ex  officio,  the 
presiding  officers,  the  Conference  was  duly  organized 
by  the  election  of  the  secretaries  and  the  appoint 
ment  of  the  appropriate  committees.  The  first  thing 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  267 

brought  before  the  Conference  for  deliberation  and 
action  was  the  Discipline  of  the  Church.  Before  any 
action,  however,  was  taken  upon  any  subject  intro 
duced  to  the  Conference,  certain  by-laws  were  adopted 
for  its  government,  among  which  was  a  rule  requir 
ing  a  two-thirds  vote  of  all  the  members  of  the  Con 
ference  to  adopt  any  new  rule  or  abolish  any  old  one, 
though  a  bare  majority  might  suffice  to  modify  or 
amend  any  rule.  As  the  subject  of  Discipline  came 
under  review  of  the  Conference,  those  parts  especi 
ally  which  had  been  the  subject  of  discussion,  and  re 
garding  the  propriety  of  which  there  was  a  difference 
of  opinion,  were  the  first  to  elicit  attention.  James 
O'Kelly,  the  presiding  elder  (above  alluded  to)  over 
a  district  in  Virginia,  one  of  the  largest  in  the  con 
nection,  in  an  early  part  of  the  session  brought  for 
ward  the  subject  of  episcopal  power  as  relating  to 
the  appointment  of  the  preachers.  The  question  was 
embraced  in  the  following  resolution :  "  Kesolved, 
that  after  the  bishop  appoints  the  preachers  at  the 
Conference  to  their  several  circuits,  if  any  one  think 
himself  injured  by  the  appointment,  he  shall  have 
liberty  to  appeal  to  the  Conference  and  state  his  ob 
jections;  and  if  the  Conference  approve  his  objec 
tions,  the  bishop  shall  appoint  him  to  another  cir 
cuit."  This  resolution  brought  the  whole  subject  of 
the  episcopacy,  and  its  powers  and  prerogatives,  before 
the  Conference.  As  the  discussion  would  necessarily 


268  LIFE   AND    TIMES    OF 

bring  the  wjjole  administration,  involving  particularly 
the  episcopal  acts  of  Bishop  Asbury,  before  the  Con 
ference,  with  characteristic  liberality,  lest  any  should 
be  deterred  from  speaking  out  fully  his  sentiments  on 
the  subject,  the  bishop  withdrew  from  the  Confer 
ence-room  and  forwarded  the  following  letter: 

"My  DEAR  BRETHREN, — Let  my  absence  give  you 
no  pain ;  Dr.  Coke  presides.  I  am  happily  excused 
from  making  laws  by  which  I  am  myself  to  be  gov 
erned.  I  have  only  to  obey  and  execute.  I  am 
happy  in  the  consideration  that  I  never  stationed  a 
preacher  through  enmity  or  as  a  punishment.  I 
have  acted  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  the 
people,  and  to  promote  the  usefulness  of  the  preach 
ers.  Are  you  sure  that,  if  you  please  yourselves,  the 
people  will  be  as  fully  satisfied  ?  They  often  say : 
'  Let  us  have  such  a  preacher ;'  and  sometimes,  '  We 
will  not  have  such  a  preacher ;  we  would  sooner  pay 
him  to  stay  at  home.'  Perhaps  I  must  say,  'His  ap 
peal  forced  him  upon  you.'  I  am  one,  ye  are  many. 
I  am  as  willing  to  serve  you  as  ever.  I  want  not  to 
sit  in  any  man's  way.  I  scorn  to  solicit  votes.  I  am 
si  very  trembling,  poor  creature,  to  hear  praise  or  dis 
praise.  Speak  your  minds  freely,  but  remember  you 
are  only  making  laws  for  the  present  time.  It  may 
be  that,  as  in  some  other  things,  so  in  this,  a  future 
day  may  give  you  further  lis;ht." 


FRANCIS    ASBUKY.  269 

The  discussion  of  the  question  lasted  for  several 
days,  and  was  quite  animated  on  both  sides.  At 
length,  when  the  period  arrived  to  take  the  vote,  it 
was  ascertained  that  a  large  majority  were  in  favor 
of  continuing  with  the  episcopacy  the  power  given 
to  it  at  the  Conference  in  1784.  It  may  not  be  im 
proper  to  remark  here,  that  this  question  was  revived 
in  what  was  denominated  the  "Kadical  Controversy" 
in  1827,  and  with  that  of  lay  delegation,  and  some 
other  matters  of  Church  government,  it  led  finally  to 
a  secession,  the  result  of  which  was  the  organization 
of  the  Methodist  Protestant  Church,  now  a  large  and 
influential  body  of  Christians.  Several  of  the  ablest 
and  most  distinguished  ministers  were  lost  to  the 
Church  in  this  controversy ;  a  calamity  which  we 
pray  may  never  befall  the  Church  again. 

In  Lee's  History  of  Methodism,  published  in  1810, 
we  find  the  following  in  relation  to  the  controversy 
in  the  General  Conference  on  the  subject  of  the  ap 
pointing  power,  as  elicited  by  the  resolution  offered 
by  O'Kelly :  "  This  motion  brought  on  a  long  de 
bate  ;  the  arguments  for  and  against  the  proposal 
were  weighty,  and  handled  in  a  masterly  manner. 
There  never  had  been  a  subject  before  us  that  so 
fully  called  forth  all  the  strength  of  the  preachers. 
A  large  majority  of  them  appeared  at  first  to  be  in 
favor  of  the  motion,  but  at  last  Mr.  John  Dickins 
moved  to  divide  the  question  thus :  First,  Shall  the 


270  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

bishop  appoint  the  preachers  to  the  circuits?  And 
secondly.  Shall  a  preacher  be  allowed  an  appeal? 
After  some  debate  the  motion  to  divide  the  question 
prevailed.  The  first  question  being  then  put,  it  was 
carried  without  a  dissenting  voice  ;  but  when  we 
came  to  the  second  question,  namely,  Shall  a  preach 
er  be  allowed  an  appeal  ?  there  was  a  difficulty  start 
ed,  which  was,  whether  this  was  to  be  considered  a 
new  rule,  or  only  an  amendment  of  an  old  one.  If  it 
was  to  be  regarded  as  a  new  rule,  it  would  require  a 
two  thirds  vote  to  carry  it.  After  considerable  de 
bate  it  was  decided  by  vote  that  it  was  only  an 
amendment  of  an  old  rule.  Of  course,  after  all  the 
lengthy  debates,  we  were  just  where  we  began,  and 
had  to  take  up  the  question  as  it  was  originally  pro 
posed.  One  rule  for  our  debates  was,  that  each  per 
son,  if  he  choose,  shall  have  liberty  to  speak  three 
times  on  each  motion.  By  dividing  the  question, 
and  then  coining  back  to  where  we  were  at  first,  we 
were  kept  on  the  subject  called  the  Appeal  for  two 
or  three  days.  On  Monday  we  began  the  debate 
afresh  and  continued  it  through  the  day,  and  at  night 
we  went  to  Mr.  Otterbein's  church  and  continued  it 
till  near  bedtime,  when  the  vote  was  taken,  and  the 
motion  was  lost  by  a  large  majority." 

Having  disposed  of  this  difficult  subject,  the  Con 
ference  proceeded  to  the  discussion  of  the  questions 
pertaining  to  the  appointment,  ordination,  and  trial 


FRANCIS   ASBURY.  2*71 

of  a  bishop.  The  Church  being,  as  we  have  seen, 
disconnected  from  the  Wesleyan  connection,  and  ex 
isting  as  a  separate  and  independent  organization,  the 
power  to  appoint  a  bishop  could  no  longer  come  from 
without,  and  the  General  Conference  was  hence  made 
the  source  of  episcopal  power,  the  exercise  of  which 
was  placed  exclusively  under  its  control,  holding 
original  jurisdiction  over  all  its  bishops. 

The  question  relating  to  presiding  elders  was  fully 
discussed  at  this  Conference.  By  the  authority  of 
the  bishop  alone  a  number  of  circuits  had  been 
formed  into  districts,  and  from  the  organization  of 
the  Church,  in  1784:,  they  had  been  placed  under  the 
charge  of  a  presiding  elder.  We  say  this  was  done 
by  the  authority  of  the  bishop,  as  the  Conference  had 
made  no  rules  or  regulations  on  the  subject.  As  con 
siderable  objection  had  been  urged  against  this  usage, 
and  several  expressed  doubts  as  to  the  authority  of 
the  bishop  in  appointing  the  presiding  elders,  the 
Conference,  under  the  head  of  episcopal  duties,  made 
it  the  duty  of  the  bishop  to  appoint  the  presiding 
elders,  and  gave  him  the  power  to  change  them  at 
pleasure,  provided  that  he  should  not  allow  an  elder 
to  preside  over  the  same  district  for  more  than  four 
consecutive  years.  The  duties  of  presiding  elders  were 
also  more  specifically  defined.  Until  this  Conference 
no  provision  whatever  was  made  for  the  support  of  the 
wives  of  traveling  preachers.  If  a  preacher  married, 


272  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

his  salary  of  sixty-four  dollars  remained  the  same  as 
before,  the  design  being  evidently  to  keep  up  the 
celibacy  of  the  clergy,  an  example  of  which  was  so 
strongly  and  perseveringly  maintained  by  the  bishop. 
The  Conference,  however,  after  a  thorough  investiga 
tion  of  this  matter,  in  all  its  present  and  prospective 
bearings,  adopted  a  rule  allowing  the  wife  an  equal ' 
claim  with  her  husband.  The  sum  total  of  the  allow 
ance  or  salary  for  a  Methodist  preacher  and  his  fam 
ily  was  thus  increased  to  the  amount  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty-eight  dollars.  Such  was  the  allowance, 
but  it  did  not  follow  by  any  means  that  this  amount 
was  received.  In  numerous  instances  the  half  of  it 
was  not  obtained,  and  the  preachers  and  their  wives 
were  obliged  to  live  in  the  most  abject  poverty,  or 
on  the  most  cringing  dependence. 

At  this  Conference  John  Dickins  was  reappointed 
agent  of  the  Book  Concern  in  Philadelphia,  and  for 
his  services  was  allowed  a  house  and  book  room,  and 
six  hundred  and  sixty-six  dollars  thirty-three  cents 
per  annum,  which  was  to  be  paid  out  of  the  profits 
arising  from  the  sale  of  books.  The  Conference  also 
appropriated  out  of  the  proceeds  of  the  Book  Con 
cern  four  thousand  dollars,  to  be  paid  in  four  annual 
instalments.  Six  hundred  and  sixty-six  dollars  were 
also  appropriated  out  of  the  same  fund  for  the  benefit 
of  distressed  preachers,  and  also  the  bishop  was  al 
lowed  to  draw  annually  on  the  Book  Concern  the  sum 


FRANCIS    ASBURY. 


of  sixty-four  dollars  for  the  support  of  district  schools. 
The  profits  of  the  Book  Concern  at  that  time  amounted 
annually  to  about  two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars. 

Previous  to  this  Conference  it  was  not  only  con 
trary  to  usage,  but  contrary  to  the  law  of  the  Church 
for  any  preacher  to  take  a  fee  for  performing  the 
marriage  ceremony.  This,  like  the  other  ordinances 
of  the  Church,  was  not  to  be  purchased  with  money, 
and  there  were  some  who  thought  it  a  species  of 
simony  to  take  anything  for  celebrating  the  rites  of 
matrimony.  The  General  Conferences,  however, 
came  in  their  deliberations  to  a  different  conclusion, 
and  allowed  those  who  should  be  called  upon  to 
perform  this  ceremony  to  receive  whatever  might 
be  given  on  the  occasion.  But  though  the  Confer 
ence  allowed  preachers  to  take  a  fee  for  performing 
the  rites  of  matrimony,  yet  the  money  thus  received 
was  not  to  be  regarded  as  their  own.  The  amount 
was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  stewards  of  the  re 
spective  circuits,  and  equally  divided  between  the 
traveling  preachers  of  the  circuit  who  had  not  re 
ceived  their  full  disciplinary  allowance.  Where 
such  necessity  for  its  appropriation  did  not  exist,  it 
went  into  the  hands  of  the  District  or  Annual  Confer 
ence,  to  be  appropriated  according  to  its  discretion  ; 
in  no  case,  however,  was  it  the  property  of  the 
preacher  who  performed  the  ceremony. 

With  a  view  of  bringing  all  the  preachers  upon  a 
18 


274  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

level  as  it  regarded  salary,  and  thereby  prevent  any 
unpleasant  feeling  that  might  arise,  a  rule  was  adopt 
ed  requiring  all  the  preachers  to  present  an  exact 
account  of  all  and  singular  the  presents  they  might 
have  received,  either  in  money  or  other  articles,  and 
until  this  was  done  no  money  could  be  appropriated 
to  him  from  any  fund  or  collections  to  make  up 
deficiencies. 

The  Conference,  also,  with  a  view  to  prevent 
any  imposition  upon  the  societies  from  unworthy 
members,  or  those  who  were  impostors  outright, 
adopted  a  rule  requiring  all  members,  on  their 
removal  to  another  society,  to  take  a  certificate  of 
good  standing,  and  this  rule  remains  in  force  to 
this  day.  The  rules,  however,  relating  to  salaries, 
marriage  fees,  and  presents,  have  long  since  become 
obsolete,  and  have  passed  away  from  the  Discipline. 
Though  the  salary  nominally  allowed  a  preacher  is 
one  hundred  dollars,  and  his  wife  the  same,  with  a 
small  sum  for  each  of  his  children  under  a  certain 
age,  together  with  his  traveling,  fuel,  and  table 
expenses,  yet  under  these  heads,  especially  the  latter, 
our  ministers  at  the  present  day  can  receive  in 
salary,  table  expenses,  presents,  and  marriage  fees, 
any  amount.  Some  we  know  of  who  receive  annu 
ally  on  these  accounts  from  two  to  three  thousand 
dollars.  As  a  whole,  however,  the  Methodist  ministry 
are  poorly  paid,  many  of  them  on  the  poorer  cir- 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  275 

cuits  not  receiving  more  than  two  or  three  hundred 
dollars,  and  some  even  less. 

An  important  rule  on  the  subject  of  arbitration 
was  adopted  at  this  Conference.  This  rule  had 
special  reference  to  the  settlement  of  disputes 
arising  between  brethren  in  regard  to  debts.  It 
has  been  modified  from  time  to  time,  and  has 
proved  of  great  service  in  preventing  litigation,  and 
keeping  "  brother  from  going  to  law  with  brother." 
The  chapter  relating  to  the  manner  of  conducting 
public  worship  was  inserted  in  the  Discipline  at  this 
Conference,  and  with  slight  modifications  from  time 
time  still  remains. 

Asbury  in  his  Journal,  alluding  to  this  Conference, 
and  the  opposition  manifested  against  the  appointing 
power,  says:  " Perhaps  a  new  bishop,  new  Confer 
ence,  and  new  laws  would  have  better  pleased  some. 
I  have  been  much  grieved  for  others,  and  distressed 
with  the  burden  I  bear,  and  must  hereafter  bear.  O 
my  soul,  enter  into  rest!  Some  of  the  preachers 
having  their  jealousies  about  my  influence  in  the 
Conference,  I  gave  the  matter  wholly  up  to  them  and 
to  Dr.  Coke,  who  presided.  I  am  not  fond  of  alter 
cations;  we  cannot  please  everybody,  and  sometimes 
not  ourselves.  Mr.  O'Kelly  being  disappointed  in 
not  getting  an  appeal  from  any  station  made  by  me, 
withdrew  from  the  connection  and  went  off.  For 
himself,  the  Conference  well  knew  that  he  could  not 


276  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

complain  of  the  regulation.  He  had  been  located  in 
the  Southern  District  of  Yirgiriia  for  about  ten  suc 
cessive  years,  and  upon  his  plan  might  have  located 
himself  and  any  preacher  or  set  of  preachers  to  the 
district,  whether  the  people  wished  to  have  them  or 
not.  The  General  Conference  went  through  the  Dis 
cipline,  Articles  of  Faith,  Forms  of  Baptism,  Matri 
mony,  and  the  Burial  of  the  Dead,  as  also  the  Offices 
and  Ordination.  The  Conference  ended  in  peace, 
after  providing  for  another  General  Conference,  to  be 
held  four  years  afterward.  By  desire  of  the  breth 
ren,  I  preached  once  on  1  Peter  iii,  8.  My  mind  was 
kept  in  peace,  and  my  soul  enjoyed  rest  in  the 
stronghold." 


FRANCIS   ASBTJRY. 


CHAPTEK  XV. 

Second  Decade  of  Methodism  passed  —  Eesults  of  Twenty-six  Years  — 

-   Position  of  the  Church  —  Southern  Tour  —  Whitefield's  Orphan  House 

in  Georgia  — Melancholy  Eeflections  —  Asbury  crosses  the  Wilderness 

—  Sick— Continental    Tour— Great    Sickness    in    New    York  — Few 
Preachers  at  Conference  —  Yellow  Fever  in  Philadelphia  —  Day  of  Fast 
ing,  Humiliation,  and  Prayer— Pestilence  in  Maryland  —  Pass  from  a 
Health  Officer— Preaches  in  Baltimore  —  Takes  up  Winter  Quarters  at 
Charleston  — Midnight   Journey  —  Father    Harper's   Plantation  —  As- 
biiry  at  Baltimore  June,  1794  — Portrait  taken  at  request  of  Preachers 

—  Original  Picture  in  possession  of  Baltimore  Methodist  Historical  So 
ciety  —  Travels  to  Boston  —  Eemarks  —  New  York  Conference— Preach 
ing— Yellow  Fever  at  Baltimore  —  Whisky  Insurrection  in  the  West 

—  Charleston  — Eough  Treatment  — Leaves  the  South  — Trip  North 
ward—At  New  York  Fourth  of  July  — Eev.  Mr.  Ogden's  Work  on 
Eevealed  Eeligion— New  England  —  Grave  of  Embury  at  Ashgrove  — 
Eesidence  of  Garrettson  —  Governor  Van  Cortlandt  — At  the  Mansion 
of  his  friend  Wells  in  Charleston— His  Slaves  —  Asbury' s  Labors  in 
Charleston  — "Ben,"  the  Half-blood  Indian  Warrior  — Thrilling  Ac 
count  of  Mrs.  Dickenson—  Constitution  for  a  Belief  Fund  —  Asbury  in 
New  York— Explains  the  Discipline  to  the  Leaders  — His  Definition 
of  Schism— New  England  Conference  —  Eumors  of  Yellow  Fever  — 
Crossing  the   Bay  in  a  Storm  —  Conference  at  Philadelphia— Short 
Sketch  of  Benjamin  Abbott. 

THE  second  decade  of  Methodism  in  America  had 
passed,  and  the  middle  of  the  third  had  been  reached 
at  the  session  of  the  first  General  Conference.  What 
mighty  results  had  been  achieved  through  the  instru 
mentality  of  the  pioneer  missionaries  during  the 
period  of  twenty-six  years!  In  considerably  less 
than  one  generation,  the  Methodist  Church  in  Amer 
ica  had  risen  from  the  smallest  and  feeblest  begin- 


278  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

nings  to  a  large  denomination,  embracing  the  whole 
country,  from  Maine  to  Georgia,  in  the  field  of  its 
operations,  besides  including  portions  of  the  province 
of  Canada.  From  a  small  society,  composed,  as  we 
have  seen,  of  six  persons,  who  met  to  listen  to  the 
instructions  of  a  carpenter  in  his  rude  shop  on  Bar 
rack-street,  New  York,  the  number  had  increased  to 
sixty-five  thousand ;  and  instead  of  one  local  preacher, 
there  were  two  hundred  and  sixty- six  engaged  in 
the  regular  work,  besides  hundreds  who,  like  Embury, 
labored  with  their  hands  for  a  support  during  the 
week,  and  on  Sabbaths  visited  destitute  localities, 
preaching  the  Gospel  without  fee  or  reward.  From 
a  feeble  and  unorganized  society,  without  the  ordi 
nances  and  without  a  "  regularly  authorized  ministry," 
Methodism  had  risen  up  to  take  its  position  with  an 
ordained  ministry,  and  the  full  possession  of  all  the 
ordinances  as  a  separate  and  distinct  organization 
among  the  Churches  of  the  land. 

After  the  session  of  the  General  Conference  Asbury 
started  out  on  his  Southern  tour,  and  traveled  as  far 
as  Georgia.  While  at  Savannah  he  visited  the  ruins 
of  Whitefield's  Orphan  House.  He  gazed  with 
melancholy  interest  upon  the  blackened  walls,  and 
recognized  among  the  ruins  the  copper-plate  inscrip 
tion  which  had  been  inserted  in  the  main  building. 
While  Whitefield  was  eating  his  last  dinner  at  this 
house,  it  is  said  he  remarked  as  follows:  "This 


FEANCIS    ASBURY.  2  79 

* 

house  was  built  for  God,  and  cursed  be  the  man  that 
puts  it  to  any  other  use."  Asbury  was  led  to  the 
following  reflections  in  regard  to  this  enterprise  :  "  I 
reflect  upon  the  present  ruin  of  the  Orphan  House, 
and  taking  a  view  of  the  money  expended,  the  per 
sons  employed,  the  preachers  sent  over,  I  was  led  to 
inquire,  where  are  they  ?  The  earth,  the  army,  the 
Baptists,  the  Episcopal  Church,  the  Independents, 
have  swallowed  them  all  up  at  this  windmill  of  the 
continent.  A  wretched  country  this ;  but  there  are 
souls,  precious  souls,  worth  worlds." 

From  Georgia  he  passed  through  the  country  and 
returned  by  way  of  Kentucky,  crossing  the  wilderness 
to  Virginia,  and  thus  on  through  New  Jersey  to  New 
York.  From  hence  he  passed  through  Connecticut 
and  Massachusetts  and  returned  to  New  York.  In 
all  this  tour  he  was  in  labors  more  abundant,  preach 
ing  at  every  point,  and  superintending  the  various 
business  connected  with  the  Conferences.  Though  he 
had  been  sick  four  months  of  the  time,  yet  he  had 
traveled  three  thousand  miles  since  General  Confer 
ence.  When  he  returned  to  the  city  of  New  York  he 
found  great  sickness  prevailing.  But  few  preachers 
attended  the  Conference,  on  account  of  the  pestilence. 
While  here  he  received  intelligence  of  the  prevalence 
of  yellow  fever  in  Philadelphia,  and  was  dissuaded 
from  going  to  that  place,  as  it  would  be  attended 
with  great  danger.  But  duty  called,  and  he  felt  that 


280  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

in  following  the  behests  of  duty  he  was  safe,  ay,  even 
immortal  till  his  work  was  done.  The  following, 
which  we  find  in  his  Journal  of  Friday,  6th  of  Sep 
tember,  will  show  the  state  of  the  city  at  that  time : 
"  Ah  how  the  ways  mourn  !  how  low  spirited  are  the 
people  while  making  their  escape  !  I  found  it  awful 
indeed.  I  judge  the  people  die  from  fifty  to  one 
hundred  in  a  day ;  some  of  our  friends  are  dying, 
others  flying.  Sabbath  I  preached  on  the  text,  c  Cry 
aloud,  spare  not;  lift  up  thy  voice  like  a  trumpet,  and 
show  my  people  their  transgressions,  and  the  house 
of  Jacob  their  sins.'  The  people  of  this  city  are 
alarmed,  and  well  they  may  be.  I  went  down  to 
Ebenezer  Church,  but  my  strength  was  gone ;  how 
ever,  I  endeavored  to  open  and  apply  Micah  vi,  9 : 
cThe  Lord's  voice  crieth  unto  the  city,  and  the  man 
of  wisdom  shall  see  thy  name :  hear  ye  the  rod,  and 
who  hath  appointed  it.'  The  streets  are  now  depop 
ulated,  and  the  city  wears  a  gloomy  aspect.  Poor 
Philadelphia!  'The  lofty  city,  He  layeth  it  low.'" 
The  preachers,  in  view  of  the  calamity,  appointed  a 
day  of  fasting  and  humiliation,  and  after  Sabbath  left 
the  city;  but  Asbury  remained. 

The  pestilence  also  prevailed  in  Maryland,  and  on 
his  route  he  stopped  at  a  quarterly  meeting  at  the 
Cross  Roads,  where  he  preached  from  the  text,  "Yea, 
in  the  way  of  thy  judgments  have  we  waited  for  thee." 
In  this  discourse  he  showed  that  God  sent  pestilence 


FKANCIS    ASBUEY.  281 

famine,  blasting,  and  mildew,  and  that  only  the 
Church,  and  the  people  of  God  know  and  believe  his 
judgments;  that  God's  people  waited  for  him  in  the 
way  of  his  judgments,  and  that  they  improved  and 
profited  by  them.  Having  been  in  the  infected  re 
gion,  he  could  not  travel  without  a  pass  /rorn  the 
health  officer,  and  hence,  when  he  was  en  route  for 
Baltimore,  he  found  a  guard  stationed  one  hundred 
miles  from  the  place.  At  Baltimore  he  preached  from 
the  words,  "  Give  glory  to  God  before  he  cause  dark 
ness,  and  before  your  feet  stumble  upon  the  dark 
mountains,  and  while  ye  look  for  light  he  turn  it  into 
the  shadow  of  death,  and  make  it  gross  darkness." 
Having  delivered  his  testimony,  he  proceeded  to  An 
napolis,  and  then  returned  to  meet  the  Conference  in 
Baltimore.  From  hence  he  started  out  on  his  south 
ern  tour.  This  year  he  declined  going  to  the  West, 
and  gave  the  following  as  his  reasons :  "  The  Ameri 
can  Alps,  the  deep  snows  and  great  rains,  swimming 
the  creeks  and  rivers,  riding  in  the  night,  sleeping 
on  earthen  floors,  more  or  less  of  which  I  must  expe 
rience  if  I  go  to  the  western  country,  might  cost  me 
my  life.  I  have  only  been  able  to  preach  four  times  in 
three  weeks."  He  accordingly  proceeded  south,  and 
took  up  his  winter- quarters  at  Charleston,  which  he 
describes  as  "the  seat  of  Satan,  dissipation,  and  folly." 
The  following  description  of  a  midnight  journey 
in  North  Carolina  at  this  time  will  serve  as  a  speci- 


282  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

men  of  many  of  Asbury's  adventures  in  traveling : 
"At  length  we  came  to  Howe's  Ford,  on  the  Catawba 
Kiver,  where  we  could  get  neither  canoe  nor  guide. 
We  entered  the  river  at  the  wrong  place,  and 
were  soon  among  the  rocks  and  in  the  whirlpools. 
My  head  swam  and  my  horse  was  affrighted  ;  the 
water  was  to  my  knees,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  we 
retreated  to  the  same  shore.  My  horse  being  afraid 
to  take  to  the  water  a  second  time,  my  companion 
crossed  over,  and  sent  me  his  horse,  the  guide  which 
had  been  procured  from  the  other  side  taking  mine 
across.  "We  passed  on  ;  but  our  troubles  were  not  at 
an  end.  It  was  very  dark,  and  rained  heavily,  ac 
companied  with  tremendous  lightning  and  thunder. 
We  lost  our  path  and  wandered  in  the  wilderness  past 
midnight  until  we  struck  one,  which  we  followed. 
This  path  fortunately  led  us  to  dear  old  father  Har 
per's  plantation.  We  made  for  the  house,  and  called. 
He  answering,  but  wondering  who  it  could  be,  in 
quired  whence  we  came.  I  told  him  we  would  tell 
him  when  he  let  us  in,  for  it  was  raining  so  powerfully 
we  had  no  time  to  talk.  When  I  came  dripping 
into  the  house  he  cried,  '  God  bless  your  soul,  is  it 
Brother  Asbury  ?  Wife,  get  up.' " 

In  June,  1794,  he  arrived  at  Baltimore,  and  worn 
and  weary  sought  a  little  rest.  While  here  he  had 
his  portrait  taken  at  the  request  of  the  preachers.  In 
regard  to  this  he  says:  "It  seems  they  will  want  a 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  283 

copy ;  if  they  wait  longer  perhaps  they  will  miss  it. 
Those  who  have  gone  from  us  in  Virginia  (alluding 
to  the  O'Kelly  secession)  have  drawn  a  picture  of 
me  which  is  not  taken  from  the  life"  The  original 
portrait  of  the  venerable  bishop  is  in  possession  of  the 
Baltimore  Methodist  Historical  Society.  From  Bal 
timore  the  bishop  started  out  on  his  northern  tour, 
passing  through  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  New 
York,  and  Connecticut  to  Massachusetts.  In  Boston 
he  writes :  "  Like  our  Lord  we  had  to  preach  in  an 
upper  room,  but  we  shall  yet  have  a  work  irr  Boston." 
On  his  return  he  held  a  Conference  at  New  York. 
"While  here  he  preached  on  Sabbath  in  John-street  in 
the  morning,  and  in  Forsyth-street  in  the  afternoon. 
The  next  Sabbath  he  preached  in  the  new  church  in 
Brooklyn.  Intelligence  came  to  him  of  the  raging  of 
the  yellow  fever  at  Baltimore,  and  the  insurrection  in 
the  West  on  account  of  the  excise  law  relative  to  the 
manufacture  of  whisky. 

Again  he  started  south,  and  meeting  with  the  usual 
incidents  on  the  way,  of  swimming  rivers,  wading 
swamps,  riding  all  day  in  the  rain,  and  nearly  all 
night  in  the  dark,  preaching  as  he  went  "in  weari 
ness  and  painfulness,"  and  often  "in  perils  in  the  wil 
derness,"  he  at  length  reached  Charleston,  his  southern 
home.  To  save  himself,  if  possible,  he  concluded  to 
spend  a  portion  of  the  winter  in  this  place.  The 
mild  climate  was  favorable  to  his  health,  though  the 


284  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

city  was  very  offensive  to  his  moral  feelings.  He 
was  frequently  insulted  in  the  streets,  and  while  en 
gaged  in  prayer  with  a  few  persons,  those  outside 
would  shout  at  him  in  derision. 

While  here  at  this  time  he  was  unusually  dejected. 
He  says  in  his  Journal:  "I  have  been  lately  more 
subject  to  melancholy  than  for  many  years  past, 
and  how  can  I  help  it;  the  white  and  the  worldly 
people  are  intolerably  ignorant  of  God ;  playing, 
dancing,  swearing,  racing,  these  are  their  common 
practices  and  pursuits.  Our  few  male  members 
do  not  attend  preaching,  and  I  fear  there  is  hardly 
one  who  walks  with  God ;  the  women  and  Africans 
attend  our  meetings,  and  some  strangers  also.  Per 
haps  it  may  be  necessary  for  me  to  know  how 
wicked  the  world  is  that  I  may  do  more  as  a  presi 
dent  minister.  There  is  some  similarity  between 
my  stay  here  and  at  Bath."  Further  on  he  says: 
"The  people  have  high  work  below  stairs,  laid  off 
for  each  day  this  week.  The  western  regiment  pa 
rades  to-day,  the  eastern  to-morrow.  Wednesday 
is  the  president's  birthday ;  Thursday,  Friday,  and 
Saturday,  come  on  the  races.  I  intend  to  keep  close 
to  my  room,  except  when  attending  meetings  in  the 
evenings  ;  I  am  in  a  furnace,  may  I  come  out  purified 
like  gold."  When  the  period  arrived  for  his  leaving  he 
preached  a  parting  discourse.  The  congregation  was 
very  large,  and  he  remarked  that  if  the  people  were 


FRANCIS    ASBUKY.  285 

prudent,  and  the  preachers  faithful,  there  would  be  a 
work  of  the  Lord  even  in  that  "  seat  of  wickedness." 
When  spring  returned  to  melt  the  frozen  fetters  of 
the  North,  he  left  the  sunny  South  and  entered  upon 
his  itinerant  career.  After  attending  Conference  at 
Holstein,  he  crossed  the  mountains  and  proceeded 
along  the  valley  between  the  Blue  Ridge  and  the 
Alleghanies,  to  the  head  waters  of  the  Shenandoah, 
which  he  followed  to  its  mouth,  crossing  the  Potomac 
near  Harper's  Ferry,  and  proceeding  to  Baltimore. 
In  seven  days  he  rode  two  hundred  and  twenty-seven 
miles.  From  thence  he  bent  his  course  for  New 
York,  where  he  arrived  on  the  4th  of  July,  amid 
the  ringing  of  bells,  the  firing  of  cannon,  and  the 
shouts  of  liberty.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Ogden,  of  New 
York,  presented  him  on  this  visit  with  a  copy  of  his 
work  on  Revealed  Religion,  being  an  answer  to 
Paine's  Age  of  Reason.  He  took  from  hence  his  tour 
through  New  England  on  the  old  route,  and  on  his 
return  for  the  first  time  visited  Vermont.  During 
this  visit  he  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the 
grave  of  Embury  at  Ashgrove.  He  visited  the 
residence  of  Garrettson  at  Rhinebeck,  one  of  the 
first  native  American  Methodist  preachers,  a  faith 
ful  devoted,  and  talented  minister  of  the  Gospel, 
cheerfully  submitting  to  all  privations,  shrinking 
from  no  toils  or  hardships,  bearing  all  perse 
cutions  for  the  sake  of  his  Master,  and  among 


286  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

the  first  to  bear  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  to 
Western  New  York.  He  also  visited  Governor 
Van  Cortlandt  at  Croton,  whose  princely  mansion 
was  always  open  for  Methodist  preachers,  and  who 
afterward  dedicated  a  magnificent  grove  near  his 
residence  as  a  place  for  holding  the  yearly  camp- 
meeting.  As  bury  could  appreciate  and  enjoy  hospi 
tality,  and  though  he  never  courted,  yet  when  Provi 
dence  opened  his  way  he  never  shunned  the  society 
of  the  wealthy.  After  having  toiled  through  the 
wilderness,  sleeping  in  cabins  or  in  the  woods,  and 
living  on  the  coarsest  fare,  he  would  enjoy  the  rest 
and  comfort  afforded  at  the  mansions  of  Mr.  Yan 
Pelt  on  Staten  Island,  Judge  White  in  Delaware, 
General  Russell  in  Holstein,  Mr.  Wells  in  Charles 
ton,  General  Lippett  in  New  York,  Mr.  Phelps  in 
Virginia,  Mr.  Johnson  in  Massachusetts,  Governors 
Worthington  and  Tiffin  in  Ohio,  and  several  others 
in  different  sections  of  the  country. 

On  his  southern  tour  we  find  him  again  at  the 
mansion  of  his  old  friend  Wells  in  Charleston.  An 
incident  occurred  here  which  shows  how  deeply  As- 
bury  sympathized  with  the  colored  people.  He 
says :  "I  was  happy  last  evening  with  the  poor  slaves 
in  Brother  Wells's  kitchen,  while  our  white  brother 
(the  stationed  preacher)  held  a  sacramental  love-feast 
in  the  front  parlor  up  stairs."  During  his  stay  in  the 
city  this  time,  which  was  about  two  months,  he  at- 


FEANCIS   ASBUEY.  287 

tended  the  business  of  the  Conference,  preached 
eighteen  sermons,  met  fifteen  classes,  wrote  eighty 
letters,  besides  more  than  three  hundred  pages  on 
subjects  interesting  to  the  Church,  read  several  books, 
and  visited  thirty  families  again  and  again,  and  yet 
in  the  review  of  all  this  he  asks :  "  What  have  I  done? 
who  are  made  the  subjects  of  grace?"  We  doubt  if 
there  are  any  regular  pastors  without  any  other 
duties  who  can  present  an  exhibit  of  labor  in  their 
charges  superior  to  this. 

On  his  return  trip,  in  crossing  the  ridge  which 
runs  through  Russell  county,  Virginia,  he  says  of  the 
people :  "  They  have  lived  in  peace  ever  since  the 
death  of  Ben,  the  half-blood  Indian  warrior,  who  was 
shot  through  the  head  while  carrying  off  two  women. 
He  was  a  dreadfully  wicked  wretch,  and  had  been 
the  agent  of  death  to  nearly  one  hundred  people  in 
the  wilderness  and  on  Russell."  While  in  this  section 
of  the  country  he  inserts  the  following  in  his  Journal : 
"  This  day  in  the  evening  Brother  Kobler  was  called 
upon  to  perform  the  funeral  services  of  Mrs.  F.  Dick- 
enson,  who  has  been  as  great  a  female  sufferer  as  I 
ever  heard  of.  She  was  married  to  a  Mr.  Scott,  and 
lived  in  Powell's  Valley ;  at  which  time  the  Indians 
were  very  troublesome,  often  killing  and  plundering 
the.  inhabitants.  On  a  certain  evening,  her  husband 
and  children  being  in  bed,  eight  or  nine  Indians 
rushed  into  the  house ;  her  husband  being  alarmed, 


288  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

started  up,  when  all  that  had  guns  fired  at  him.  Al 
though  he  was  badly  wounded,  he  broke  through 
them  all,  and  got  out  of  the  house.  Several  of  them 
closely  pursued  him,  and  put  an  end  to  his  life. 
They  then  murdered  and  scalped  all  her  children  be 
fore  her  eyes,  plundered  her  house,  and  took  her 
prisoner.  The  remainder  of  the  night  they  spent 
around  a  fire  in  the  woods,  drinking,  shouting,  and 
dancing.  The  next  day  they  divided  the  plunder 
with  great  equality ;  among  the  rest  of  the  goods  was 
one  of  Mr.  Wesley's  hymn-books  ;  she  asked  them  for 
it,  and  they  gave  it  to  her ;  but  when  they  saw  her 
often  reading  therein  they  were  displeased,  called  her 
a  conjurer,  and  took  it  from  her.  After  this  they 
traveled  several  days'  journey  toward  the  Indian 
towns ;  but,  said  she,  my  grief  was  so  great  I  could 
hardly  believe  my  situation  was  a  reality,  but  thought 
I  dreamed.  To  aggravate  my  grief,  one  of  the  In 
dians  hung  my  husband's  and  my  children's  scalps  to 
his  back,  and  would  walk  the  next  before  me.  In 
walking  up  and  down  the  hills  and  mountains,  I  was 
worn  out  with  fatigue  and  sorrow ;  they  would  often 
laugh  when  they  saw  me  almost  spent,  and  mimic  my 
panting  for  breath.  There  was  one  Indian  who  was 
more  humane  than  the  rest.  He  would  get  me 
water,  and  make  the  others  stop  when  I  wanted  to 
rest.  Thus  they  carried  me  on  eleven  days'  journey, 
until  they  were  all  greatly  distressed  with  hunger. 


FRANCIS    ASBIIRY.  289 

They  then  committed  me  to  the  care  of  an  old  Indian 
at  the  camp,  while  they  went  off  a  hunting. 

"  While  the  old  man  was  busily  employed  in  dress 
ing  a  deer-skin,  I  walked  backward  and  forward 
through  the  woods,  until  I  observed  he  took  no  notice 
of  me.  I  then  slipped  off,  and  ran  a  considerable 
distance  and  came  to  a  cane-brake,  where  I  hid  my 
self  very  securely.  Through  most  of  the  night  I 
heard  the  Indians  searching  for  me,  and  answering 
each  other  with  a  voice  like  that  of  an  owl.  Thus 
was  I  left  alone  in  the  savage  wilderness,  far  from 
any  inhabitants,  without  a  morsel  of  food,  or  any 
friend  to  help,  but  the  common  Saviour  and  friend  of 
all :  to  him  I  poured  out  my  complaint  in  fervent 
prayer  that  he  would  not  forsake  me  in  this  distress 
ing  circumstance.  I  then  set  out  the  course  that  I 
thought  Kentucky  lay,  though  with  very  little  expec 
tation  of  seeing  a  human  face  again,  except  that  of 
the  savages,  whom  I  looked  upon  as  so  many  fiends 
from  the  bottomless  pit ;  and  my  greatest  dread  was 
that  of  meeting  some  of  them  while  wandering  in  the 
wilderness. 

"  One  day  as  I  was  traveling,  I  heard  a  loud  human 
voice,  and  a  prodigious  noise,  like  horses  running.  I 
ran  into  a  safe  place  and  hid  myself,  and  saw  a  com 
pany  of  Indians  pass  by,  furiously  driving  a  gang  of 
horses  which  they  had  stolen  from  the  white  people 
I  had  nothing  to  subsist  upon  but  roots,  young  grape 

19 


290  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

vines,  and  sweet-cane,  and  such  like  produce  of  the 
woods.  I  accidentally  came  where  a  bear  was  eating 
a  deer,  and  drew  near  in  hopes  of  getting  some ;  but 
he  growled  and  looked  angry,  so  I  left  him,  and 
quickly  passed  on.  At  night,  when  I  lay  down  to 
rest,  I  never  slept  but  I  dreamed  of  eating.  In  my 
lonesome  travels  I  came  to  a  very  large  shelving 
rock,  under  which  was  a  fine  bed  of  leaves.  I  crept 
in  among  them,  and  determined  there  to  end  my  days 
of  sorrow.  I  lay  there  several  hours,  until  my  bones 
ached  in  so  distressing  a  manner  that  I  was  obliged 
to  stir  out  again.  I  then  thought  of,  and  wished  for 
home  ;  and  traveled  on  several  days,  till  I  came  where 
Cumberland  River  breaks  through  the  mountain. 

"  I  went  down  the  cliffs  a  considerable  distance, 
until  I  was  affrighted,  and  made  an  attempt  to  go 
back,  but  found  the  place,  down  which  I  had  gone, 
was  so  steep  that  I  could  not  return.  I  then  saw  but 
one  way  that  I  could  go,  which  was  a  considerable 
perpendicular  distance  down  to  the  bank  of  the  river. 
I  took  hold  of  the  top  of  a  little  bush  and  for  half  an 
hour  prayed  fervently  to  God  for  assistance.  I  then 
let  myself  down  by  the  little  bush  until  it  broke, 
and  I  went  with  great  violence  down  to  the  bottom. 
This  was  early  in  the  morning,  and  I  lay  there  a  con 
siderable  time,  with  a  determination  to  go  no  farther. 
About  ten  o'clock  I  grew  so  thirsty,  that  I  concluded 
to  erawl  to  the  water  and  drink,  after  which  I  found 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  291 

I  could  walk.  The  place  I  came  through,  as  I  have 
been  since  informed,  is  only  two  miles,  and  I  was 
four  days  in  getting  through  it.  I  traveled  on  until 
I  came  to  a  little  path,  one  end  of  which  led  to  the 
inhabitants,  and  the  other  to  the  wilderness.  I  knew 
not  which  end  of  the  path  to  take.  After  standing 
and  praying  to  the  Lord  for  direction,  I  turned  to 
take  the  end  that  led  to  the  wilderness.  Imme 
diately  there  came  a  little  bird  of  a  dove-color  near 
to  my  feet,  and  fluttered  along  the  path  that  led  to 
the  inhabitants.  I  did  not  observe  this  much  at  first, 
until  it  did  it  a  second  or  third  time.  I  then  under 
stood  this  as  a  direction  of  Providence,  and  took  the 
path  which  led  me  to  the  inhabitants. 

"  Immediately  after  her  safe  arrival  she  embraced 
religion,  and  lived  and  died  a  humble  follower  of 
Christ." 

From  this  point  Asbury  pursued  his  journey  until 
he  arrived  in  Baltimore,  where  he  made  a  review  of 
his  southern  travels  since  leaving  that  place,  as  fol 
lows  :  "  From  the  best  judgment  I  can  form,  the  dis 
tance  is  as  follows :  from  Baltimore  to  Charleston,  S. 
C.,  one  thousand  miles ;  thence  up  the  state  of  South 
Carolina,  two  hundred  miles ;  from  the  center  to  the 
west  of  Georgia,  two  hundred  miles  ;  through  North 
Carolina,  one  hundred  miles ;  through  the  state  of 
Tennessee,  one  hundred  miles  ;  through  the  west  of 
Virginia,  three  hundred  miles ;  through  Pennsylvania 


292  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

and  the  west  of  Maryland,  and  down  to  Baltimore, 
four  hundred  miles.  It  will  be  seen  that  this  tour  of 
two  thousand  three  hundred  miles  did  not  embrace  the 
wilderness  of  Kentucky  and  Ohio,  the  most  dangerous 
and  difficult  portion  included  in  his  annual  round. 

While  in  Philadelphia,  on  his  northern  tour,  he 
drew  up  a  constitution  for  a  general  fund,  designed 
for  the  support  of  the  traveling  ministry,  and  to  be 
applied,  first,  to  the  single  men  that  suffer  and  are  in 
want ;  second,  to  the  married  traveling  preachers ; 
third,  to  the  worn-out  preachers ;  fourth,  to  the  wid 
ows  and  orphans  of  those  who  have  died  in  the  work ; 
fifth,  to  enable  the  annual  conferences  to  employ 
more  married  men;  and  lastly,  to  supply  the  wants  of 
all  the  traveling  preachers,  under  certain  regulations 
and  restrictions,  as  the  state  of  the  fund  would  admit. 

ISTew  York  seems  to  have  been  one  of  the  fields  of 
his  greatest  labors.  Frequently  we  find  him  preach 
ing  three  times  and  visiting  six  classes  on  one  Sab 
bath,  an  amount  of  labor  that  none  of  his  successors 
of  the  present  day  would  think  of  performing.  On 
one  occasion,  after  preaching  twice  on  the  Sabbath 
to  sixteen  hundred  hearers  each  time,  he  said : 
"  The  preachers  had  pity  upon  me,  and  desired  me 
only  to  preach  twice."  While  in  this  city,  in  1796, 
he  found  it  necessary  to  call  a  meeting  of  the  lead 
ers  of  the  different  classes  for  the  purpose  of  explain 
ing  the  Discipline  in  regard  to  the  right  of  the 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  293 

preacher  in  charge  to  expel  members  when  tried 
before  them,  or  a  select  number  of  them,  and  found 
guilty  of  a  breach  of  the  law  of  God  and  the  rules  of 
the  Church.  He  also  explained  the  nature  of  an 
appeal.  On  the  subject  of  schism  he  made  the  follow 
ing  remark  :  "  Schism  is  not  dividing  hypocrites  from 
hypocrites,  formal  professors  from  people  of  their 
own  caste.  It  is  not  dividing  nominal  Episcopalians 
from  each  other,  nominal  Methodists  from  nominal 
Methodists,  or  nominal  Quakers  from  nominal 
Quakers ;  but  schism  is  the  dividing  real  Christians 
from  each  other,  and  breaking  the  unity  of  the 
Spirit."  This  is  the  true  apostolic  definition  of 
schism,  which  consists  in  "  rending  the  body  of 
Christ,"  and  not  in  any  disruption  of  a  false  Church. 
From  New  York  Asbury  passed  on  through  New 
England,  preaching  everywhere,  "  in  labors  more 
abundant,"  and  looking  with  a  fatherly  anxiety  over 
all  the  interests  of  the  Church.  Keturning  to  New 
York,  he  made  preparations  for  the  approaching  Con 
ference.  When  the  period  arrived,  several  preachers 
were  detained  at  home  on  account  of  rumors  of  yel 
low  fever  in  the  city.  Enough,  however,  arrived  to 
attend  to  the  business  of  the  Conference,  and  a 
peaceful,  profitable  session  was  held.  After  preach 
ing  in  John-street  and  in  the  new  church,  Asbury 
ordained  eight  deacons  and  seven  elders,  the  services 
connected  with  which  required  him  to  be  on  his  feet 


294  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

six  hours  in  the  course  of  the  day.  On  Monday,  not 
being  able  to  find  a  passage  at  Powles  Hook,  on 
account  of  the  stormy  weather,  two  of  the  preachers 
went  to  Whitehall,  where  they  found  a  boat  which, 
in  the  language  of  Asbury,  "would  sail,  sink,  or 
swim  for  Yan  Deezen's  Landing,  on  Staten  Island." 
He  felt  rather  reluctant  about  entering  the  craft  and 
braving  the  dangers,  but  finally  embarked.  He  says : 
"  We  passed  the  bay,  ten  miles  over,  in  the  space  of 
an  hour.  When  we  were  within  one  mile  of  the 
dock  the  wind  shifted  and  blew  powerfully ;  the 
people  on  shore  were  alarmed,  and  had  the  skiff 
ready  to  take  us  up,  expecting  we  should  fill  and  sink, 
or  be  beaten  off  and  strike  the  rocks.  After  a  time 
we  secured  the  boat,  and  landed  the  men,  but  left 
the  landing  of  the  horses  for  better  weather." 

At  Philadelphia  he  preached  in  the  Ebenezer  and 
St.  George's  Churches,  to  large  and  attentive  con 
gregations.  At  the  Conference  there  were  present 
between  forty  and  fifty  preachers,  and  the  session 
was  characterized  by  great  harmony  and  prosperity. 
For  the  first  time  since  Asbury  had  been  on  the  con 
tinent,  it  was  announced  that  sufficient  money  had 
been  raised  to  pay  the  salaries  of  all  the  preachers, 
and  besides  there  was  a  surplus  of  two  hundred  dol 
lars,  which  was  appropriated  to  relieve  the  preachers 
from  embarrassment  and  pay  their  debts.  From 
hence  the  bishop  directed  his  course  toward  Balti- 


FKANCIS    ASBURY.  295 

more,  where  the  General  Conference  was  to  be  held 
in  November. 

One  of  the  remarkable  men  in  the  itinerancy  of 
the  times  about  which  we  are  now  writing,  was 
Benjamin  Abbott.  He  was  a  man  of  great  simplicity 
of  manner  and  good  native  talents,  though  entirely 
uncultivated.  His  success  as  a  preacher  was  of  the 
most  wonderful  character.  Wherever  he  went  crowds 
were  attracted  to  hear  him,  and  he  rarely  preached  a 
sermon  that  was  not  attended  with  immediate  results 
in  the  conversion  of  souls.  Beyond  his  Bible  and 
Hymn  Book  he  did  not  extend  his  studies,  but  seem 
ed  to  have  been  shut  up  to  them  entirely.  He  had 
deep  experience  in  spiritual  things,  and  his  labors 
were  characterized  with  great  faith  and  zeal.  Hav 
ing  strong  faith,  all  his  movements  partook  of  its 
nature,  and  he  as  confidently  expected  souls  would  be 
converted  as  that  the  Gospel  was  preached.  It  was 
this  element  in  his  character  that  gave  him  such 
power  in  preaching,  and  made  him  one  of  the  most 
successful  ministers  of  his  day.  He  traveled,  like 
most  of  the  preachers  of  that  day,  over  a  wide  extent 
of  country,  and  precious  fruits  of  his  ministry  were 
gathered  in  all  parts  of  the  land.  Of  the  graces  of 
oratory  or  elocution  he  knew  nothing ;  a  child  of 
nature,  he  obeyed  her  impulses  alone,  and  with  a 
heart  full  of  love  to  God  and  love  to  man,  he  was 
like  a  minister  from  Pentecost,  with  a  heart  of  fire 


296  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

and  a  tongue  of  flame.  Hence  his  word  was  with 
power,  and  none  could  resist  the  eloquence  or  gain 
say  the  wisdom  with  which  he  spoke.  His  last 
labors  were  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Maryland,  and  a 
fire  was  kindled  throughout  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  peninsula  which  burns  even  to  this  day.  Like 
the  holy  lamp  of  the  sanctuary,  he  was  a  flame  ever 
burning ;  but  in  serving  others  he  consumed  himself, 
and  thus  literally  burned  out  his  life,  a  living  sacri 
fice  to  the  holy  cause  in  which  he  was  engaged. 
Thus  lived  and  thus  died  this  wonderful  man. 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  297 


CHAPTER  XYI. 

General  Conference  in  Baltimore  in  1796  —  Number  of  Preachers  present 

—  Cradle  of  Southern  Methodism  —  Quadrennial  Greetings  —  Address 
of  British  Conference  —  Number  of  Conferences  —  Boundaries  —  Deed 
of  Settlement —  Candidates  for  Deacon's  and  Elder's  Orders  —  Arrange 
ments  for    Publication   of   Books  —  Monthly  Magazine  —  Eules   for 
Seminaries  of  Learning  —  Charter  Fund  —  Preacher's  Fund  merged — • 
Eegulations  in  regard  to  Marriage  —  Use  and  Sale  of  Ardent  Spirits  — 
Subject  of  African    Slavery —  Declaration  — Address  to  the    British 
Conference  —  Southern  Tour  —  Attack  of  Fever  —  Coke  and  Whatcoat 

—  Unpleasant  Incident  — Mr.  Wesley  displeased  — Asbury's  Love  of 
American  Methodism  —  Light-street  Church  and  Asbury  College  de 
stroyed  by  Fire  —  Dangerous  Illness  of  Mr.  Wells  —  Death  —  Tribute 
to  his  Memory — Dr.  Coke's  Oration  —  Notes  on  the  Discipline  — Spring 

—  Gap  in  the  Mountain  —  Widow  Sherwood's  —  Dumb  Sabbaths  —  Ke- 
view  of  Labors  —  Jesse  Lee  in  Maine — Noble  Band  of  New  England 
Itinerants  —  The  eccentric  Father  Moodie  —  Conference  at  Readfield  — 
Preaches  in  Portland  — Returns  — Yellow  Fever  in  New  York  — Death 
of  John  Dickins  —  Testimonial  —  Conference  in  Philadelphia  and  New 
York  —  Accompanied  by  Lee  to  the  South  —  Intelligence  of  Washing 
ton's  Death  —  Sermon  on  the  Occasion  — Snethen  —  A  great  Favorite. 

IN  the  fourth  decade  of  Methodism  in  this  country 
we  shall  embrace  the  General  Conference  held  in 
Baltimore  on  the  19th  of  November,  1Y96.  About 
one  hundred  preachers  were  present  at  this  Confer 
ence,  and  the  session  began  under  the  most  favorable 
auspices.  It  was  an  occasion  of  great  interest  to  see 
those  hardy  sons  of  itinerant  toil  assembled  together 
from  the  extremes  of  the  continent  in  that  cradle  of 
southern  Methodism,  the  Light-street  Church.  The 
first  thing  they  did  was  to  receive  the  fraternal 


298  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

quadrennial  greetings  of  their  brethren  in  England. 
Though  Wesley  and  the  first  class  of  itinerants  asso 
ciated  with  him  had  closed  their  career  and  entered 
into  rest,  their  successors  still  retained  an  ardent  at 
tachment  to  all  the  members  of  the  wide-spread 
family  of  Methodism.  In  their  address  the  British 
Conference  say :  "  We  see  an  absolute  necessity  of 
strictly  adhering  to  our  first  principles,  by  firmly  sus 
taining  our  original  doctrines,  and  that  plan  and  dis 
cipline  which  we  have  so  long  proved  to  be  the  very 
sinews  of  our  body.  Herein  we  doubt  not  you  are 
likeminded  with  us.  We  consider  you  a  branch  of 
the  same  root  from  which  we  sprung,  and  of  which 
wre  can  never  think  but  with  inexpressible  gratitude. 
We  congratulate  you  on  the  honor  which  our  blessed 
Lord  has  put  upon  you  in  crowning  your  endeavors 
with  such  amazing  success,  and  blessing  you  with  the 
enjoyment  of  civil  and  religious  liberty,  for  which 
we  also  have  great  cause  to  be  thankful." 

Up  to  this  period  in  the  history  of  the  Church  the 
bishops  exercised  discretionary  power  in  appointing 
as  many  Annual  Conferences  as  they  judged  expedi 
ent  for  the  convenience  of  the  preachers  and  people ; 
but  as  the  General  Conference  possessed  the  legisla 
tive  power  to  make  rules  and  regulations,  it  was 
deemed  best  at  this  session  to  settle  definitely  the 
question  in  regard  to  their  number,  and  also  to  define 
the  respective  boundaries  of  each.  Accordingly  the 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  299 

number  of  Conferences  agreed  upon  was  six,  with  the 
proviso  that  should  it  be  considered  essential  to  the 
demands  of  the  work  in  New  England,  the  bishop 
might  organize  an  additional  one  in  the  province  of 
Maine.  The  following  were  the  Conferences  author  - 
ized  to  be  holden  : 

1st.  The  New  England  Conference,  embracing  the 
states  included  under  that  name,  and  so  much  of  the 
State  of  New  York  as  lay  east  of  Hudson  River. 

2d.  The  Philadelphia  Conference,  embracing  the 
remainder  of  the  State  of  New  York,  New  Jersey,  all 
that  part  of  Pennsylvania  lying  east  of  Susquehanna 
River,  the  State  of  Delaware,  and  the  remainder  of 
the  peninsula. 

3d.  The  Baltimore  Conference,  including  the  re 
mainder  of  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland,  and  the 
Northern  Neck  of  Virginia. 

4th.  The  Virginia  Conference,  embracing  all  that 
part  of  the  state  lying  south  of  Rappahannock  River, 
and  all  that  part  of  North  Carolina  lying  on  the  north 
side  of  Cape  Fear  River,  including  also  the  circuits 
on  the  branches  of  the  Yadkin. 

5th.  The  South  Carolina  Conference,  embracing 
South  Carolina,  Georgia,  and  the  remainder  of  North 
Carolina. 

6th.  The  Western  Conference,  embracing  the  States 
of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee. 

Among  the  reasons  given  by  the  General  Confer- 


300  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

ence  for  its  action  in  the  establishment  of  these  Con 
ferences,  we  find  the  following :  "  For  several  years 
the  Annual  Conferences  were  very  small,  consisting 
only  of  the  preachers  of  a  single  district,  or  of  two  or 
three  very  small  ones.  This  was  attended  with  many 
inconveniences.  There  were  but  few  of  the  senior 
preachers  whose  years  and  experience  had  matured 
their  judgments  who  could  be  present  at  any  one 
Conference ;  and,  besides,  the  Conferences  wanted 
that  dignity  which  every  religious  synod  should  pos 
sess,  and  which  always  accompanies  a  large  assem 
bly  of  Gospel  ministers.  The  itinerant  plan  was 
exceedingly  cramped  from  the  difficulty  of  removing 
preachers  from  one  district  to  another.  To  all  which 
it  may  be  added  that  the  active,  zealous,  unmarried 
preachers  may  move  on  a  larger  scale,  and  preach 
the  ever  blessed  Gospel  far  more  extensively  through 
the  sixteen  states  and  other  parts  of  the  continent ; 
while  the  married  preachers,  whose  circumstances 
require  them  in  many  instances  to  be  more  local  in 
their  sphere  of  labor  than  the  single  men,  will  have 
a  considerable  field  of  action  opened  to  them,  and 
also  the  bishops  will  be  able  to  attend  the  Confer 
ences  with  greater  ease  and  without  injury  to  their 
health." 

For  the  purpose  of  securing  the  church  edifices 
which  had  been  built  for  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  a  plan  of  a  deed  of  settlement  was  adopted 


FRANCIS    ASBUKY.  301 

by  the  Conference.  The  qualifications  necessary  for 
such  as  were  candidates  for  elder's  orders  were  also 
agreed  upon  and  defined.  Certain  arrangements 
wrere  made  in  regard  to  the  publication  of  books, 
and  also  in  relation  to  the  management  of  the  press, 
which  were  deemed  important.  The  Conference  de 
cided  upon  establishing  a  monthly  magazine.  They 
also  adopted  a  system  of  rules  for  the  regulation  of 
all  the  seminaries  of  learning  under  the  patronage 
and  control  of  the  Church,  which  are  alluded  to  else 
where.  A  Chartered  Fund,  to  be  sustained  by  volun 
tary  contributions,  the  principal  stock  of  which  was 
to  be  funded  under  the  direction  of  trustees,  and  the 
interest  accruing  applied  by  order  of  the  General 
Conference,  was  also  established.  The  stock  of  the 
Preachers'  Fund  was  merged  into  that  of  the  Chartered 
Fund,  and  the  annual  profits  of  the  Book  Concern 
were  appropriated  to  increase  the  stock.  It  was 
agreed  that  the  money  subscribed  for  the  fund  might 
be  lodged  on  proper  security  in  the  states  respec 
tively  where  it  had  been  subscribed,  provided  the 
securities  were  such  as  the  trustees  in  Philadelphia 
approved.  The  sole  design  in  the  establishment  of 
this  fund  was  to  secure  to  the  Church  the  services  of 
those  ministers  who  otherwise,  from  sheer  necessity, 
would  have  been  obliged  to  retire  from  the  work, 
and  engage  in  some  secular  employment  for  the  sup 
port  of  their  families. 


302  LIFE   AND    TIMES    OF 

Regulations  were  made  at  this  Conference  in  regard 
to  the  subject  of  marriage  of  such  a  nature  as  to 
prohibit  a  member  of  the  Church  from  marrying  one 
who  was  not  a  member,  or  at  least  an  awakened 
person,  and  requiring  all  who  had  the  charge  of 
circuits  to  enforce  the  discipline  in  all  such  cases, 
and  exclude  them  from  the  Church.  The  Conference 
also  gave  directions  in  regard  to  the  use  and  sale  of 
ardent  spirits;  and  while  it  protested  against  any 
design  whatever  to  trench  upon  the  civil  or  religious 
liberty  of  any  members  of  the  Church,  yet  it  con 
sidered  the  use  of  ardent  spirits,  unless  in  cases  of 
necessity,  and  their  sale,  unless  for  mechanical, 
chemical,  or  medicinal  purposes,  such  a  crying  evil 
that  it  was  called  upon,  under  the  circumstances, 
to  legislate  against  them.  The  subject  of  African 
slavery,  which  had  more  or  less  excited  the  attention 
of  the  Conferences  from  time  to  time,  was  also 
brought  before  this  General  Conference,  and  became 
a  matter  of  serious  and  deliberate  investigation. 
The  members  believed  it  their  duty  to  seek  in  all 
proper  legitimate  ways  the  extirpation  of  the  evil. 
The  following  were  the  regulations  adopted : 

"  We  declare  that  we  are  more  than  ever  convinced 
of  the  great  evil  of  African  slavery,  which  still  exists 
in  these  United  States,  and  do  most  earnestly  recom 
mend  to  the  yearly  Conferences,  quarterly  meetings, 
and  to  those  who  have  the  oversight  of  districts  and 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  303 

circuits,  to  be  exceedingly  cautious  what  persons 
they  admit  to  official  stations  in  our  Church  ;  and  in 
the  case  of  future  admission  to  official  stations,  to 
require  such  security  of  those  who  hold  slaves,  for  the 
emancipation  of  them  immediately  or  gradually,  as 
the  laws  of  the  states  respectively  and  the  circum 
stances  of  the  case  will  admit.  And  we  do  fully 
authorize  all  the  yearly  Conferences  to  make  what 
ever  regulations  they  judge  proper  in  the  present 
case  respecting  the  admission  of  persons  to  official 
stations  in  our  Church.  No  slaveholder  shall  be 
received  into  the  society  till  the  preacher  who  has 
the  oversight  of  the  circuit  has  spoken  to  him  freely 
and  faithfully  on  the  subject  of  slavery.  Every 
member  of  the  society  who  sells  a  slave  shall,  imme 
diately  after  full  proof,  be  excluded  the  society ;  and 
if  any  member  of  our  society  purchase  a  slave,  the 
ensuing  quarterly  meeting  shall  determine  on  the 
number  of  years  in  which  the  slave  so  purchased 
would  work  out  the  price  of  his  purchase.  And  the 
person  so  purchasing  shall,  immediately  after  such 
determination,  execute  a  legal  instrument  for  the 
manumission  of  such  slave  at  the  expiration  of  the 
term  determined  by  the  Quarterly  Conference ;  and 
in  default  of  his  executing  such  instrument  of  manu 
mission,  or  on  his  refusal  to  submit  his  case  to  the 
judgment  of  the  quarterly  meeting,  such  member  shall 
be  excluded  the  society.  Provided,  also ,  that  in  the 


304  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

case  of  a  female  slave  it  shall  be  inserted  in  the  afore 
said  instrument  of  manumission  that  all  her  children 
which  shall  be  born  during  the  years  of  her  servitude 
shall  be  free  at  the  following  times,  namely,  every 
female  child  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  and  every 
male  child  at  the  age  of  twenty-five.  Nevertheless, 
if  the  member  of  our  society  executing  the  said  in 
strument  of  manumission  judge  it  proper,  he  may  fix 
the  times  of  manumission  of  the  children  of  the  female 
slaves  before  mentioned  at  an  earlier  age  than  that 
which  is  prescribed  above.  The  preachers  and  other 
members  of  our  society  are  requested  to  consider  the 
subject  of  negro  slavery  with  deep  attention  till  the 
ensuing  General  Conference,  and  that  they  impart 
to  the  General  Conference,  through  the  medium  of 
the  yearly  Conferences  or  otherwise,  any  important 
thoughts  upon  the  subject,  that  the  Conference  may 
have  full  light  in  order  to  take  further  steps  toward 
the  eradicating  this  enormous  evil  from  that  part  of 
the  Church  of  God  to  which  the}7  are  united." 

An  address  was  drawn  up  by  a  committee  appointed 
for  that  purpose  to  the  British  Conference.  Among 
other  items  contained  in  this  address  we  find  the 
following  : 

"  We  candidly  confess  that  we  were  very  fearful, 
when  the  Lord  took  that  eminent  man,  Eev.  John 
"Wesley,  to  his  reward,  that  division  would  take  place 
among  you  from  the  delicate  circumstances  in  which 


FKANCIS   ASBURY.  305 

you  were  placed.  Among  you  he  superintended  for 
half  a  century  to  the  admiration  we  had  almost  said 
of  the  entire  civilized  world.  But  our  God  is  infi 
nitely  kind  to  us  all.  He  has  preserved  both  you  and 
us  in  a  wonderful  manner.  We  rejoice  in  your  union, 
and  can  bless  God  that  we  were  never  more  united 
than  at  present.  A  few,  indeed,  who  were  as  great 
enemies  to  the  civil  government  under  which  they 
lived  as  to  our  Discipline,  have  left  us,  and  we  have 
now  not  a  jarring  string  among  us.  At  present  you 
have  the  largest  field  of  action  in  respect  to  the  num 
ber  of  souls ;  but  we  are  humbly  endeavoring  to  sow 
those  seeds  of  grace  which  may  grow  up  and  spread 
in  this  immense  country,  which  in  ages  to  come  will 
probably  be  the  habitation  of  hundreds  of  millions." 
At  the  close  of  this  Conference  Asbury  started  out 
upon  his  Southern  tour.  His  constitution,  though 
naturally  robust,  had  been  undermined  and  shat 
tered  by  disease.  Exposure  in  all  weathers,  con 
nected  with  excessive  labors,  brought  on  long  attacks 
of  inflammatory  fever.  He  rode  during  this  tour  six 
hundred  miles  with  a  fever  on  him.  Having  Coke 
and  Whatcoat  as  traveling  companions,  he  was  saved 
however  from  preaching  as  much  as  usual.  While 
in  Virginia  he  was  amazed  to  hear  that  one  of  his 
oldest  and  most  valued  friends  had  been  converted 
to  the  views  of  O'Kelly  by  being  told  by  that  re 
former  that  he  (Asbury)  had  offended  Wesley,  and 

20 


306  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

for  fear  of  being  called  to  an  account  had  cast  him 
off  altogether.  To  this  he  replies :  "  Query,  Did  not 
J.  O'Kelly  set  aside  the  appointment  of  Richard 
Whatcoat?  and  did  not  the  Conference  in  Baltimore 
strike  that  minute  out  of  our  Discipline  which  was 
called  a  rejecting  of  Mr.  Wesley?  and  now,  does 
J.  O'Kelly  lay  all  the  blame  on  me?  It  is  true,  I 
never  approved  of  that  binding-  minute.  I  did  not 
think  it  practical  expediency  to  obey  Mr.  Wesley,  at 
three  thousand  miles  distance,  in  all  matters  relative 
to  Church  government,  neither  did  Brother  What 
coat,  nor  several  others.  At  the  first  General  Con 
ference  I  was  mute  and  modest  when  it  passed,  and 
I  was  mute  when  it  was  expunged.  For  this  Mr. 
Wesley  blamed  me,  and  was  displeased  that  I  did 
not  rather  reject  the  whole  connection  or  leave  them 
if  they  did  not  comply.  But  I  could  not  give  up  the 
connection  so  easily  after  laboring  and  suffering  so 
many  years  with  and  for  them."  Thus  it  will  be  seen 
that  it  was  not  that  Asbury  loved  Wesley  the  less, 
but  that  he  loved  the  infant  American  Methodism 
more. 

The  sad  intelligence  came  to  him  while  in  South 
Carolina  that  the  Light-street  Church  and  Cokesbury 
College,  in  Baltimore,  in  connection  with  Mr.  Haw 
kins's  elegant  house,  were  consumed  by  fire.  In  this 
calamity  the  Methodists  in  Baltimore  had  the  sym 
pathy  of  the  Episcopal,  and  the  English  and  German 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  307 

Presbyterian  Churches,  which  were  kindly  tendered 
for  their  occupancy.  At  Charleston  he  found  his  old 
friend,  Mr.  "Wells,  in  a  very  dangerous  sickness. 
After  preaching  on  Sabbath  he  went  to  hear  Dr. 
Coke  in  the  evening.  On  Monday  the  preachers  who 
had  been  attending  the  Conference  left,  and  after 
accompanying  Dr.  Coke  to  Clement's  Ferry,  he  re 
turned  to  Mr.  Wells's  house,  where  he  instructed  his 
slaves  in  the  kitchen,  and  then  prayed  with  their 
master  for  the  last  time.  On  Tuesday  he  returned 
and  found  him  dead,  and  "  the  widow  in  prayers  and 
tears,  and  also  the  dear  children  and  servants."  The 
following  testimony  of  regard  for  his  friend  we  find 
in  his  Journal :  "  It  is  twelve  long  years  next  March 
since  he  received  Henry  Willis,  Jesse  Lee,  and  my 
self  into  his  house.  In  a  few  days  he  was  brought 
under  great  distress  for  sin,  and  soon  after  professed 
faith  in  Christ,  since  which  he  has  been  a  diligent 
member  of  the  society.  About  fourteen  months  ago, 
when  there  was  a  revival  of  religion  in  the  society 
and  in  his  own  family,  it  came  home  to  his  own  soul; 
he  was  quickened  and  remarkably  blessed,  and  con 
tinued  so  until  his  death.  The  last  words  he  said  were 
that  he  knew  where  he  was ;  that  his  wife  was  with 
him,  and  that  God  was  with  him.  He  was  one  much 
for  the  feeling  part  of  religion  ;  a  gentleman  of  spirit, 
and  sentiment,  and  fine  feelings ;  a  faithful  friend  to 
the  poor,  and  warmly  attached  to  the  ministers  of  the 


308  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

Gospel."  Dr.  Coke  pronounced  an  oration  over  his 
grave,  and  the  succeeding  Sabbath  Asbury  preached 
a  funeral  discourse  on  the  text,  "Be  thou  faithful 
unto  death  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life." 

While  here  he  was  quite  ill  with  intermittent  fever, 
but  occupied  his  time  with  Dr.  Coke  in  writing  the 
Notes  to  the  Discipline,  which  was  continued  until 
the  latter  sailed  for  Ireland,  which  he  did  on  Friday, 
the  10th  of  February,  1797.  When  he  parted  with 
the  doctor  he  felt  unusually  sad.  About  this  time 
his  spirits  were  more  depressed  than  ever  before. 
He  says  :  "  My  depression  of  spirits  at  times  is  awful, 
especially  when  afflicted.  That  which  is  deeply  con 
stitutional  will  never  die  but  with  my  body."  When 
he  left  the  city  this  time  he  felt  like  one  escaped 
from  prison.  The  balmy  breath  of  spring  revived 
his  spirits,  and  as  he  rode  along  through  the  country 
he  exclaimed:  "Hail,  ye  solitary  pines!  the  jessa 
mine,  the  red  bud,  and  dog-wood  !  How  charming  in 
full  bloom ;  the  former  most  fragrant."  Before  him 
was  a  journey  of  two  thousand  miles,  and  his  outfit 
consisted  of  but  three  dollars ;  yet  in  courage  and 
confidence  he  was  resolved  to  prosecute  it,  and  be 
found  in  the  way  of  duty  however  discouraging  the 
circumstances.  His  route  lay  through  North  Caro 
lina  and  Tennessee  on  to  Maryland,  and  thence  to 
New  York.  Some  of  the  most  magnificent  scenes 
are  presented  to  the  eye  of  the  traveler  in  the  route 


FRANCIS   ASBURY.  309 

yearly  taken  by  the  bishop  in  passing  through  the 
borders  of  North  Carolina  and  crossing  what  is  called 
the  Gap  in  the  mountain.  The  ascent  is  gradual 
until  the  summit  of  the  Blue  Kidge  is  gained.  From 
this  point  the  scene  is  the  most  enchanting  that  can 
be  imagined.  Spread  out  in  beauty,  such  only  as 
nature  can  produce,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach, 
beautiful  plains  and  flowery  woodlands,  presenting, 
as  it  were,  a  continuous  but  ever-varying  panorama, 
nothing  can  be  more  inspiring. 

While  at  the  Widow  Sherwood's,  in  New  York 
state,  a  family  he  frequently  visited,  and  which  was 
much  loved  by  him,  he  says :  "  It  is  now  eight  weeks 
since  I  have  preached — awfully  dumb  Sabbaths !  I 
have  been  most  severely  tried  from  various  quarters. 
My  fevers,  my  feet,  and  Satan  would  set  in  with  my 
gloomy  and  nervous  affections.  Sometimes  subject 
to  the  greatest  effeminacy,  to  distress  at  the  thought 
of  a  useless,  idle  life ;  but  what  brought  the  heavy 
pang  into  my  heart,  and  caused  the  big  tear  to  roll, 
was  the  thought  of  leaving  the  connection  without 
some  proper  men  of  their  own  election  to  go  in  and 
out  before  them  in  my  place,  and  to  keep  that  order 
which  I  have  been  seeking  these  many  years  to 
establish."  While  in  New  York  he  received  a  letter 
from  Dr.  Coke,  who  had  gone  from  Ireland  to  En 
gland.  He  makes  the  following  comments  on  this 
letter :  "  The  three  grand  divisions  of  the  Wesleyan 


310  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

connection  are  alarming.  It  is  a  doubt  if  the  doctor 
comes  to  America  until  spring,  if  at  all  until  the 
General  Conference.  I  am  more  than  ever  con 
vinced  of  the  propriety  of  the  attempts  I  have  made 
to  bring  forward  episcopal  men :  first,  From  the  un 
certain  state  of  my  health ;  secondly,  From  a  regard 
to  the  good  order  and  union  of  the  American  body 
and  the  state  of  the  European  connection.  I  am  sen 
sibly  assured  that  the  Americans  ought  to  act  as  if 
they  expected  to  lose  me  every  day  and  had  no  de 
pendence  upon  Dr.  Coke,  taking  prudent  care  not  to 
place  themselves  at  all  under  the  controlling  influence 
of  British  Methodists." 

On  his  return  to  Baltimore  he  was  called  upon  to 
open  the  new  Light-street  Church.  His  text  for  the 
occasion  was :  "  Now  therefore  ye  are  no  more  stran 
gers  and  foreigners,  but  fellow-citizens  with  the  saints 
and  of  the  household  of  God,  and  are  built  upon  the 
foundation  of  the  apostles  and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ 
himself  being  th«>  chief  corner-stone."  From  hence 
he  went  to  Virginia,  where  he  held  a  Conference,  and 
then,  believing  that  a  journey  to  Charleston  would  be 
fatal,  he  concluded  to  take  up  winter-quarters  at  Mr. 
Drumgold's.  His  health  was  such  that  he  could  not 
preach,  and  his  time  was  occupied  in  study  and  writ 
ing  letters.  When  he  could  neither  read  nor  write,  he 
had  such  a  horror  of  being  idle  that  he  occupied  his 
time  in  winding  cotton.  While  here  he  received  a 


FRANCIS    ASBUKY.  311 

letter  from  Charleston  Conference,  representing  all 
things  in  a  peaceful  and  prosperous  condition.  He 
was  prompted  to  review  in  this  connection  the  labors 
of  Methodist  preachers.  He  says:  "I  make  no 
doubt  but  others  have  labored;  but  in  England,  Scot 
land,  and  Ireland,  and  those  kingdoms  that  have  been 
civilized  and  improved  one  thousand  years,  and  which 
are  under  such  improvements,  no  minister  could  have 
suffered  in  those  days  and  in  those  countries  as  in 
America,  the  most  ancient  parts  of  which  have  not 
been  settled  two  hundred  years,  some  parts  not  forty, 
others  not  thirty,  twenty,  nor  ten,  and  some  not  five 
years.  I  have  frequently  skimmed  along  the  fron 
tiers  for  four  and  five  hundred  miles,  from  Kentucky 
to  Green  Briar,  on  the  very  edge  of  the  wilderness, 
and  thence  along  Tiger  Valley  to  Clarksburg  on  the 
Ohio.  I  am  only  known  by  name  to  many  of  our 
people  and  some  of  our  local  preachers,  and  unless 
the  people  were  all  together  they  could  not  tell  what 
I  had  to  cope  with.  I  make  no  doubt  the  Methodists 
are  and  will  be  a  numerous  and  wealthy  people ;  and 
their  preachers  who  follow  us  will  not  know  our 
struggles  but  by  comparing  the  present  improved 
state  of  the  country  with  what  it  was  in  our  days,  as 
exhibited  in  my  Journal  and  other  records  of  that 
day.  Many  other  Churches  go  upon  the  paths 
already  trodden  two  or  three  hundred  years.  We 
formed  our  own  Church,  and  claim  the  power  of  a 


312  LIFE   AND   TIMES    OF 

reform  every  four  years.  We  can  make  more  exten 
sive  observations,  because  our  preachers  in  six  or 
seven  years  can  go  through  the  whole  continent  and 
see  the  state  of  other  Churches  in  all  parts  of  this 
new  world." 

From  his  retreat  he  went  out  to  Maryland,  and 
passed  through  Delaware,  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey, 
and  on  to  New  York.  While  here  he  preached  in 
John-street  and  at  the  Bowery  Church,  and  rode  out 
to  Kingsbridge,  where  he  also  preached.  On  his 
return  he  preached  in  Brooklyn.  A  letter  from 
England  informed  him  of  the  death  of  his  father,  and 
he  entered  the  following  reflections  in  his  Journal : 
"  I  now  feel  myself  an  orphan  with  respect  to  my 
father.  Wounded  memory  recalls  to  mind  what  took 
place  when  I  parted  with  him  nearly  twenty-seven 
years  ago.  He  was  a  man  that  I  seldom,  if  ever, 
saw  weep  ;  but  when  I  came  to  America,  over 
whelmed  with  grief  and  tears,  he  cried  out,  '  I  shall 
never  see  him  again!'  For  about  thirty-nine  years 
my  father  has  had  the  Gospel  preached  in  his  house." 

The  indomitable  Jesse  Lee  having  penetrated  the 
distant  province  of  Maine,  and  organized  societies 
and  circuits,  the  time  had  now  arrived  for  holding  a 
Conference  in  that  region.  Asbury  had  a  great 
desire  to  visit  the  noble  and  heroic  band  of  Meth 
odist  preachers  in  Conference  assembled.  He  had 
met  Hall,  Mudge,  Merritt,  Broadhead,  and  others 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  313 

associated  with  Lee  in  the  New  York  Conference, 
but  he  wished  to  hold  communion  with  them  on  the 
field  of  their  toil  and  conflict.  He  accordingly,  on  the 
first  month  of  the  summer  of  1798,  left  New-York, 
and  proceeded  through  Connecticut,  Khode  Island, 
and  Massachusetts,  passing  through  Boston,  Lynn, 
Salem,  and  Newburyport,  to  Portsmouth,  New 
Hampshire.  Crossing  the  Piscataqua  Kiver,  he  step 
ped  for  the  first  time  upon  the  soil  of  Maine.  Pro 
ceeding  along  the  sea  shore,  through  old  York,  the 
parish  of  the  eccentric  "  Father  Moodie,"  who  never 
received  anything  for  his  salary  but  the  prayers  of 
the  people;  through  Wells,  with  its  lovely  bay  and 
beautiful  beach,  over  the  pine  plains  of  Kennebunk, 
and  around  the  saline  marshes  of  Scarborough,  he 
arrived  at  Portland,  where  he  found  himself  among 
strangers.  Proceeding  on  to  the  Presumpscot  River, 
he  preached  in  a  barn.  At  Gray  he  preached  in  a 
school-house,  and  at  New  Gloucester  in  the  house  of 
a  widow.  Making  his  way  through  the  woods  to  the 
Androscoggin,  he  crossed  near  Lewiston  Falls,  and 
went  on  to  Monmouth,  where  he  preached  in  an 
unfinished  church,  the  second  erected  in  the  state  of 
Maine.  At  Winthrop  an  appointment  had  been 
made  for  him  at  the  Congregational  Church,  but  he 
was  unable  to  fulfill  it.  From  thence  he  beat  his 
way  through  the  woods,  which  he  describes  as  being 
"  as  bad  as  the  Alleghany  Mountains  and  the  Dismal 


314  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

Swamp,  or  the  shades  of  death,"  until  he  reached 
Readfield,  where  the  Conference  was  to  be  held. 

After  Conference  he  returned  to  Portland,  and 
preached  in  a  small  back  room  to  about  twenty-five 
persons.  He  visited  Boston,  and  from  thence  re 
turned  to  New  York  and  rested  a  little  at  Widow 
Sherwood's.  The  intelligence  he  received  of  the 
prevalence  of  the  yellow  fever  in  New  York  and 
Philadelphia,  was  truly  alarming.  Crossing  the  ferry 
six  miles  above  New  York,  he  went  on  to  Crosswicks, 
in  New  Jersey,  where  he  heard  of  the  death  of  John 
Dickins,  who  fell  a  victim  to  the  pestilence.  Of 
Dick  ins  he  says :  "  For  piety,  probity,  profitable 
preaching,  holy  living,  the  Christian  education  of  his 
children,  secret  closet  prayer,  I  doubt  whether  his 
superior  is  to  be  found  either  in  Europe  or  America." 
From  Baltimore  he  took  his  usual  Southern  trip, 
attending  the  Conferences  and  preaching  on  the  way, 
and  returned  in  the  spring.  While  in  Delaware  a 
consultation  of  physicians,  consisting  of  Doctors 
Cook,  Anderson,  Ridgley,  and  Neadham,  was  had  in 
his  case,  in  which  they  advised  him  to  desist  from 
preaching  entirely,  as  he  was  threatened  with  a  con 
sumption,  which  would  speedily  end  his  days.  From 
the  Cross  Roads  he  went  to  Philadelphia,  where  he 
held  a  Conference,  retiring  every  night  to  the  Eagle 
Works,  on  the  Schuylkill,  to  the  residence  of  Mr. 
Henry  Foxall.  After  Conference  he  went  to  New 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  315 

York,  where  Conference  was  opened.  Notwithstand 
ing  the  advice  of  his  physicians,  he  preached  and 
exhorted  during  the  session.  We  give  the  follow 
ing  interesting  description  of  this  Conference  from 
the  unpublished  autobiography  of  Rev.  William 
Thacher : 

u  As  the  Conference  of  1799  was  the  first  in  which 
I  was  ever  honored  with  a  place  and  a  seat,  I  may 
give  a  brief  account  of  my  adventure  on  the  occa 
sion.  About  a  dozen  of  us,  Methodist  preachers, 
passengers  from  the  East,  landed  at  New  York,  and 
made  our  way  to  the  old  head-quarters  in  John-street, 
bearing  on  our  arms  our  saddle-bags  ;  we  were  horse 
back  men,  and  did  not  use  trunks  for  traveling;  we 
were  all  plain  men,  plain  enough.  We  were  wel 
comed  at  the  little  old  parsonage  by  the  venerable 
Revs.  Thomas  Morrell  and  Joshua  Wells,  ministers  in 
the  station.  Brother  W.  took  us  as  he  found  us,  bag 
and  baggage,  formed  us  in  rank  and  file,  and  placed 
himself  as  captain  at  the  head  of  the  company.  We 
were  in  Methodist  preacher's  uniform,  in  military 
style.  Our  walk,  especially  through  Chatham-street, 
seemed  to  attract  attention.  We  were  soon  disposed 
of  at  different  places.  Conference  was  held  in  the 
old  hive  of  Methodists,  John-street  Church.  What  a 
congregation  of  Methodist  preachers!  What  greet 
ings,  what  love  beaming  in  every  eye,  what  gratu- 
lation,  what  rejoicing,  what  solemnity!  The  clock 


316  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

strikes  nine.  We  are  in  the  old  sanctuary,  in  Con 
ference,  assembled  around  the  altar,  within  which  sits 
the  venerable  Asbury,  Bible  in  hand.  A  chapter 
read,  a  hymn  sung,  we  kneel.  How  solemn,  how 
awful,  how  devout  the  prayer!  What  amens  are 
responded,  what  a  Divine  effusion !  Inspiration 
seemed  to  pervade  the  whole.  Prayer  ended,  the 
secretary  calls  the  roll,  and  we  proceed  to  business. 
Six  hours  are  spent  each  day  for  the  transaction  of 
business,  from  nine  to  twelve  and  from  three  to  six, 
each  session  opening  by  reading  the  Scriptures,  sing 
ing,  and  prayer,  and  closing  by  prayer.  At  length 
the  Conference  draws  to  a  close ;  the  bishop  looks 
solemnly  around  upon  us,  the  doomsday  document 
trembling  in  his  hand ;  he  reads  intuitively  each 
countenance,  tracing  the  suspense  and  solicitude  of 
his  anxious  sons,  all  trembling  to  fly  to  their  work, 
yet  fearing  as  to  the  place  where  they  shall  be  sent. 
Although  the  suspense  was  painful,  the  slow,  solemn, 
concluding  address  of  the  bishop  gradually  rolls 
along,  occasionally  stopping  in  its  progress  until  its 
close.  Then  taking  the  Hymn-book  he  reads  : 

'  The  vineyard  of  the  Lord 

Before  his  laborers  lies, 
And  lo !  we  see  the  vast  reward 

Which  waits  us  in  the  skies.' 

"We  sing,  we  kneel,  and  O  what  a  prayer!  What 
unction  from  heaven !  We  arise,  and  then  the  hid- 


FRANCIS   ASBURY.  3lY 

den,  sealed  instrument  is  all  a  revelation,  the  bene 
diction  is  pronounced  and  we  separate." 

From  New  York  lie  bent  his  course  southward,  and, 
accompanied  by  Lee,  visited  many  of  the  quarterly 
meetings  and  all  the  Conferences  as  far  as  Georgia. 
On  his  return  he  held  a  Conference  in  Charleston. 
While  there  intelligence  was  received  of  the  death 
of  Washington,  and  on  the  Sabbath  Asbury  deliv 
ered  a  discourse  on  the  occasion.    No  one  entertained 
a  higher   regard  for  Washington   than  did  Asbury 
and   his   coadjutors.      After   the  Conference   closed 
Lee  was  requested  by  the  bishop  to  visit,  as  his  as 
sistant,  several  places  in  Georgia,  he  being  unable 
to  go  in  consequence  of  illness.     Here  he  remained 
preaching,  when    he   was   able,  until  Lee  returned, 
when,  accompanied  by  him  and  Snethen,  he  set  out  for 
the  North.     The  latter  of  these  traveling  companions 
was  as  great  a  favorite  with  the  bishop  as  Lee,  and 
in  alluding  to  a  certain  sermon  which  he  preached  in 
Virginia  during  this  journey,  he  says:  "  N.  Snethen 
preached  a  great  discourse  on  2  Cor.  xiii,  5-7."     In 
the  route  they  wTere  joined  by  M'Keridree  and  other 
preachers,    who    were    making    their    way    to    the 
General  Conference,  which  was  to  be  held  in  Balti 
more.     From  the  10th  of  February  to  the  27th  of 
April,  Asbury  had  traveled  eleven  hundred  miles. 


318  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

General  Conference  in  Baltimore  in  1800  —  Address  of  the  British  Con 
ference —  Explanation  of  Dr.  Coke — Address  of  Asbury  to  the  Brit 
ish  Conference —  His  Determination  to  resign  his  Office  —  Ecsolution 
of  the  Conference  —  Election  of  Richard  Whatcoat  to  the  Episcopacy  — 
Asbury  and  Whatcoat  at  Perry  Hall  —  Abingdon — Ruins  of  the  Col 
lege  —  New  York  Conference  —^Revival  in  the  Bowery  Church  —  Wid 
ow  Sherwood's  —  Boston  —  Bishops  preach  in  the  Tabernacle  — 
Mother  Livingston  —  Her  Conversion  —  Hospitality  —  Garrettson's  — 
Crossing  the  Wilderness  —  Conference  at  Bethel  —  Preachers  present  — 
Nashville  —  Origin  of  Camp-meetings  —  Asbury  confined  at  Philadel 
phia  —  Western  Conference  in  Tennessee  —  Poy thress  —  Recrosses  the 
Mountains  —  Spends  the  Winter  in  South  Carolina — Baltimore  —  Maine 
—  A  charming  Spot  —  His  Mother's  Death  —  Tribute  to  her  Memory  — 
Death  of  Rev.  Devereux  Jarratt  —  Memorial  —  Funeral  Sermon  —  New 
York  Conference — Fredericktown  —  Natural  Bridge  —  Revival  at  Hoi- 
stein  —  Conference  —  At  Station  Camp  —  Night  Encampment  —  Mount 
ain  Dew  —  No  Tent — Opinion  of  Southern  Planters — Baltimore  — 
Compliment  to  —  Perry  Hall  —  Miss  De  Peyster's  Legacy  —  Sermon  in 
John  street —  Ordains  Joshua  Soule —  Ashgrove  —  Pittsburgh  —  Zane's 
Trace  —  Lancaster  —  Western  Conference  in  Kentucky  —  Visit  to  Dr. 
Hinde  —  Interesting  Incident  —  Illness  —  Depression  —  Legacy  —  Ten 
nessee  —  Virginia. 

ON  the  6th  of  May,  1800,  one  hundred  and  sixteen 
itinerant  preachers  had  congregated  iron}  all  parts  of 
the  United  States  in  Baltimore,  for  the  purpose  of 
holding  another  General  Conference.  After  the  Con 
ference  was  opened,  Dr.  Coke,  who  had  returned 
from  Europe,  read  the  address  of  the  British  Confer 
ence,  and  at  considerable  length  explained  those  por 
tions  of  it  which  related  to  himself  in  regard  to  his 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  319 

return  to  Europe.  He  remarked  in  conclusion  that 
the  address  was  not  his  own,  and  that  he  was 
not  consulted  in  relation  to  it,  and  he  left  the 
decision  of  the  case  entirely  at  the  disposal  of  the 
General  Conference.  At  the  previous  General  Con 
ference  he  had  pledged  himself  to  his  American 
brethren  after  the  following  manner :  "  I  offer  myself 
to  my  American  brethren  entirely  to  their  service, 
all  I  am  and  have,  with  my  talents  and  labors  in 
every  respect,  without  any  mental  reservation  what 
ever,  to  labor  among  them  and  to  assist  Bishop  As- 
bury ;  not  to  station  the  preachers  at  any  time  when 
he  is  present,  but  to  exercise  all  the  episcopal  duties 
when  I  hold  a  Conference  in  his  absence,  and  by  his 
consent,  and  to  visit  the  West  Indies  and  France, 
when  there  is  an  opening  and  I  can  be  spared." 

As  no  official  action  could  be  had  in  relation  to  the 
desire  of  the  British  Conference,  which  had  pre 
viously  been  made  known  to  the  Conference  in  Yir- 
ginia  in  1797,  Bishop  Asbury  addressed  that  body  as 
follows : 

"  RESPECTED  FATHERS  AND  BRETHREN, — You,  in  your 
brotherly  kindness,  were  pleased  to  address  a  letter  to 
us,  your  brethren  and  friends  in  America,  expressing 
your  difficulties  and  desires  concerning  our  beloved 
brother  Dr.  Coke,  that  he  might  return  to  Europe  to 
heal  the  breach  which  designing  men  have  been 


320  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

making  among  you,  or  prevent  its  threatened  over 
flow.  We  have  but  one  grand  responsive  body, 
which  is  our  General  Conference,  and  it  was  in  and 
to  this  body  the  doctor  entered  his  obligations  to 
serve  his  brethren  in  America.  No  yearly  Confer 
ence,  no  official  character  dare  assume  to  answer  for 
that  grand  federal  body. 

"By  the  advice  of  the  yearly  Conference  now  sit 
ting  in  Virginia,  and  the  respect  I  bear  to  you,  I  write 
to  inform  you  that  in  our  own  persons  and  order  we 
consent  to  his  return  and  partial  continuance  with 
you,  and  earnestly  pray  that  you  may  have  much 
peace,  union,  and  happiness  together.  May  you  find 
that  your  divisions  end  in  a  greater  union,  order,  and 
harmony  of  the  body,  so  that  the  threatened  cloud 
may  blow  over,  and  your  divisive  party  may  be  of  as 
little  consequence  to  you  as  ours  is  to  us. 

"With  respect  to  the  doctor's  returning  to  us,  I 
leave  your  enlarged  understandings  arid  good  sense 
to  judge.  You  will  see  the  number  of  souls  upon  our 
Annual  Minutes,  and  as  men  of  reading  you  may 
judge  over  what  a  vast  continent  these  societies  are 
scattered.  I  refer  you  to  a  large  letter  I  wrote  our 
beloved  Brother  Bradburn  on  the  subject. 

"  By  a  probable  guess,  we  have,  perhaps,  from  one 
thousand  to  one  thousand  two  hundred  traveling 
and  local  preachers.  Local  preachers  are  daily  rising 
up  and  coming  forward,  with  proper  recommendations 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  321 

from  their  respective  societies,  to  receive  ordination, 
besides  the  regulation  and  ordinations  of  the  yearly 
Conferences.  From  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 
where  the  Conference  was  held,  to  the  province  of 
Maine,  where  another  Conference  is  to  be  held,  there 
is  a  space  of  about  one  thousand  and  three  hundred 
miles ;  and  we  have  only  one  worn-out  superintend 
ent,  who  was  this  day  advised  by  the  yearly  Confer 
ence  to  desist  from  preaching  till  next  spring,  on 
account  of  his  debilitated  state  of  body.  But  the 
situation  of  our  affairs  requires  that  he  should  travel 
about  five  thousand  miles  a  year,  through  many  parts 
unsettled,  and  other  thinly  peopled  countries.  I  have 
now  with  me  an  assistant,  who  does  everything  for 
me  he  constitutionally  can  ;  but  the  ordaining  and  sta 
tioning  the  preachers  can  only  be  performed  by  my 
self  in  the  doctor's  absence. 

"  We  have  to  lament  that  our  superintendence  is 
so  weak,  and  that  it  cannot  constitutionally  be 
strengthened  till  the  ensuing  General  Conference. 
How  I  have  felt  and  must  feel,  under  such  critical 
and  important  circumstances,  I  leave  you  to  judge. 

"To  write  much  on  the  subject  would  be  imposing 
on  my  own  weakness  and  your  good  understanding. 
I  speak  as  unto  wise  men ;  judge  what  I  say. 

"  Wishing  you  great  peace  and  spiritual  prosperity, 
I  remain  your  brother,  your  friend,  your  servant  for 
Christ's  sake." 

21 


322  LIFE   AND    TIMES    OF 

In  conformity  with  the  permission  given  in  this  let 
ter  for  his  absence  from  America  for  a  short  season 
only,  after  remaining  for  a  while  and  assisting  Bishop 
Asbury,  Dr.  Coke  returned  to  Europe,  and  was  use 
fully  employed  in  visiting  the  societies  in  various 
parts  of  the  United  Kingdom,  particularly  in  Ireland, 
during  a  rebellion  which  broke  out  in  1Y98,  in  which 
lie  was  successful  in  his  attempts  to  shield  the  Meth 
odist  preachers  from  all  blame,  until  the  session  of 
this  General  Conference,  when  he  appeared  to  fulfill 
his  engagements  with  his  American  brethren,  or  be 
honorably  released.  After  deliberating  for  some 
time  upon  the  request  of  the  British  Conference  for 
Dr.  Coke's  return,  the  following  resolution  was  con 
curred  in  by  the  General  Conference : 

"That,  in  compliance  with  the  address  of  the  Brit 
ish  Conference  to  let  Dr.  Coke  return  to  Europe,  this 
General  Conference  consent  to  his  return  upon  con 
dition  that  he  come  back  to  America  as  soon  as  his 
business  will  allow,  but  certainly  by  the  next  Gen 
eral  Conference." 

In  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  this  resolution,  the 
Conference  addressed  their  British  brethren  as  fol 
lows: 

"  We  have  considered,  with  the  greatest  attention, 
the  request  you  have  made  for  the  doctor's  return  to 
Europe;  and  after  revolving  the  subject  deeply  in 
minds,  and  spending  part  of  two  days  in  debating 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  328 

thereon,  we  still  feel  an  ardent  desire  for  his  continu 
ance  in  America.  This  arises  from  the  critical  state 
of  Bishop  Asbnry's  health,  the  extension  of  our  work, 
our  affection  for  and  approbation  of  the  doctor,  and 
his  probable  usefulness,  provided  he  continue  with 
us.  We  wish  to  detain  him,  as  we  greatly  need  his 
services.  But  the  statement  you  have  laid  before  us 
in  your  address,  of  the  success  of  the  West  India 
missions  under  his  superintendence,  the  arduous  at 
tempt  to  carry  the  Gospel  among  the  native  Irish 
requiring  his  influence  and  support,  and  the  earnest 
request  you  have  added  to  this  representation,  'be 
lieving  it  to  be  for  the  glory  of  God,'  hath  turned  the 
scale  at  present  in  your  favor.  We  have,  therefore, 
in  compliance  with  your  request,  lent  the  doctor  to 
you  for  a  season,  to  return  to  us  as  soon  as  he  con 
veniently  can,  but  at  farthest  by  the  meeting  of  our 
next  General  Conference." 

Asbury's  health  having  declined  more  rapidly 
within  a  few  years  past,  and  finding  it  difficult  to 
travel  and  superintend  the  work  generally,  he  had 
come  to  the  conclusion  to  resign  his  office  as  bishop. 
Being  unable  to  perform  its  duties,  he  could  not  consent 
to  remain  in  a  relation  for  which  he  was  evidently 
unfitted,  and  which  Providence  indicated  should  be 
dissolved.  He  was  keenly  alive  to  the  responsibility 
of  his  position,  and  having  been  able  during  the  last 
quadrennial  period  to  render  only  partial  service,  he 


324  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

feared  that  there  was  a  dissatisfaction  existing  in  the 
minds  of  the  preachers  on  that  account.  To  disabuse 
his  mind  the  Conference  unanimously  passed  the 
following : 

"  Resolved,  That  this  General  Conference  consider 
themselves  under  many  and  great  obligations  to  Mr. 
Asbury  for  the  many  and  great  services  he  has  ren 
dered  to  the  connection,  and  that  they  earnestly 
entreat  a  continuance  of  his  services  as  one  of  the 
General  Superintendents  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  as  far  as  his  strength  will  permit." 

In  view  of  the  inability  of  Bishop  Asbury  to  do 
effectively  the  work  of  an  itinerant  general  superin 
tendent,  the  Conference  subsequently  resolved  to  go 
into  an  election  of  an  additional  bishop,  and  as  the 
result  of  such  election  Richard  Whatcoat  was  chosen. 
He  was  shortly  after  duly  ordained  to  the  office,  and 
became  the  episcopal  colleague  of  Asbury. 

After  the  transaction  of  the  ordinary  business  per 
taining  to  the  Conference  it  adjourned,  and  the 
preachers  started  out  again  to  their  different  and  dis 
tant  fields  of  itinerant  toil. 

In  company  with  the  newly  ordained  bishop,  As 
bury  left  Baltimore  and  went  out  to  "  Perry  Hall." 
The  family  of  Mr.  Gough,  like  the  family  visited  by 
the  Saviour  at  Bethany,  manifested  the  most  enlarged 
and  open-hearted  hospitality,  and  the  visits  of  As 
bury  were  hailed  with  delight.  From  this  place  they 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  325 

went  to  Abingdon,  the  site  of  the  late  Cokesbury 
College,  whose  charred  and  blackened  walls  pre 
sented  a  sad  and  melancholy  appearance.  Passing 
through  Delaware  and  New  Jersey,  they  came  on  to 
New  York,  where  the  Conference  was  held.  During 
the  session  there  was  quite  a  revival  in  the  Bowery 
Church.  From  this  place  they  went  out  to  the 
Widow  Sherwood's  for  the  purpose  of  enjoying  quiet 
and  rest.  While  here  Asbury  preached  at  Sherwood's 
Chapel.  From  thence  the  bishops  pursued  their 
eastern  route  through  Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island 
on  to  Boston,  where  they  both  preached  in  the  Tab 
ernacle.  On  their  return  they  fell  in  company  with 
Garrettson,  who  had  been  attending  the  funeral  of  the 
venerable  Mother  Livingston,  who  died  suddenly  at 
the  age  of  seventy-eight.  In  regard  to  this  lady  As 
bury  says  :  "  About  thirty-four  years  ago  this  godly 
woman  was  awakened,  under  the  first  sermon  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Sadley  preached  in  the  Reformed  Low 
Dutch  Church  in  New  York ;  as  she  told  me,  not  she 
alone,  but  six  or  eight  other  respectable  women. 
Madam  Livingston  was  one  who  gave  invitation  to 
the  Methodist  preachers  to  come  to  Rhinebeck,  and 
received  them  into  her  house,  and  would  have  given 
them  more  countenance  had  she  been  under  no  other 
influence  than  that  of  the  spirit  of  God  and  her  own 
feelings.  I  visited  her  one  year  before  her  death,  and 
spent  a  night  at  her  mansion.  She  was  sensible,  con- 


326  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

versable,  and  hospitable."  After  leaving  Rhinebeck, 
where  they  stopped  and  enjoyed  the  hospitalities  of 
Garrettson's  pleasant  home,  and  at  the  "  elegant  man 
sion  "  of  Dr.  Tillotson,  commanding  a  charming  view 
of  the  Hudson,  they  started  out  upon  their  route 
and  came  to  Poughkeepsie,  concerning  which  As- 
bury  remarked,  "This  is  no  place  for  Methodism." 
Again  in  New  York,  after  recruiting  a  little,  they 
started  out  on  their  Southern  tour,  passing  through 
the  intervening  states,  preaching  at  Baltimore  'and 
other  places,  until  they  arrived  at  Virginia,  where 
they  made  preparations  for  their  "grand  route  to  Ken 
tucky."  After  crossing  the  wilderness,  they  reached 
the  seat  of  the  Western  Conference  on  the  3d  of  Oc 
tober.  The  place  selected  was  Bethel,  on  the  Ken 
tucky  River,  about  forty  miles  above  Frankfort.  We 
give  the  names  of  the  preachers  present  on  that  occa 
sion  :  William  M'Kendree,  William  Burke,  John  Sale, 
Hezekiah  Harriman,  Benjamin  Lakin.  At  this  Con 
ference  Lewis  Hunt,  Thomas  Allen,  and  Jeremiah 
Lawson  were  readmitted.  Two  were  admitted  on 
trial.  After  spending  two  weeks  in  that  section  of 
the  country,  Asbury,  Whatcoat,  and  M'Kendree  start 
ed  for  Nashville.  He  thus  describes  his  visit  to  this 
city :  "  This  is  a  place  long  heard  of,  but  never  seen 
by  me  until  now.  Some  thought  the  congregation 
would  be  small,  but  I  believed  it  would  be  large. 
Not  less  than  one  thousand  people  were  in  and  out 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  327 

of  the  stone  church,  which  if  floored,  ceiled,  and 
glazed,  would  be  a  grand  house.  We  had  three 
hours'  public  exercises.  Mr.  M'Kendree  preached 
upon  '  The  wages  of  sin  is  death ;'  myself  upon  Ro 
mans  x,  14,  15,  and  Brother  Whatcoat  on  'When 
Christ,  who  is  our  life,  shall  appear,  then  shall  we  also 
appear  with  him  in  glory.' ':  While  in  Tennessee 
they  attended  a  meeting  which  had  been  in  progress 
four  days.  It  was  one  of  those  remarkable  meetings 
called  sacramental  occasions,  held  by  Presbyterian 
ministers,  and  which,  on  account  of  the  great  numbers 
that  attended  them,  gave  rise  to  camp-meetings.  At 
this  meeting  Asbury,  Whatcoat,  and  M'Kendree  were 
invited  to  participate,  and  it  was  continued  several 
days  longer.  The  following  graphic  description  of 
this  meeting  we  find  in  his  Journal :  "  The  stand  was 
in  the  open  air,  embosomed  in  a  wood  of  lofty  trees. 
The  ministers  of  God,  Methodists  and  Presbyterians, 
united  their  labors,  and  mingled  with  the  childlike 
simplicity  of  primitive  times.  Fires  blazing  here 
and  there  dispelled  the  darkness ;  and  the  shouts  of 
the  redeemed  captives,  mingling  with  the  cries  of 
precious  souls  struggling  into  life,  broke  the  silence 
of  midnight.  The  weather  was  delightful,  as  if 
heaven  smiled,  while  mercy  flowed  in  abundant 
streams  of  salvation  to  perishing  sinners." 

By  means  of  these  meetings  great  revivals  pre 
vailed  throughout  the  South  and  West,  and  extended 


328  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

to  the  Middle  and  Eastern  States.  So  great  were  the 
multitudes,  collected  far  and  near  from  the  surround 
ing  country,  that  from  ten  to  fifteen  thousand  per 
sons  have  been  estimated  to  be  present  at  a  single 
encampment.  The  congregations  being  so  immense 
it  was  impossible  for  the  voice  of  one  preacher  to 
reach  them,  and  stands  were  erected  at  different 
points,  where  ministers  of  different  denominations, 
but  all  in  the  same  spirit,  and  actuated  by  the  same 
motives,  held  forth  to  the  listening  thousands  the 
words  of  life.  So  great  was  the  excitement  which 
pervaded  the  encampment  at  times,  that  hundreds 
if  not  thousands  might  have  been  seen  prostrate 
upon  the  earth  at  once  in  the  greatest  distress,  or 
wild  with  joy,  on  their  feet,  shouting  the  praises  of 
God.  So  many  descriptions  have  been  written  of 
this  remarkable  revival,  and  the  wonderful  exercises 
accompanying  it,  that  we  do  not  deem  it  necessary  to 
occupy  space  in  repeating  them,  and  shall  refer  the 
reader  who  may  not  have  seen  them,  or  who  desires 
a  further  account,  to  Finley's  Sketches',  or  the  Auto 
biography  of  the  Rev.  Jacob  Young,  both  of  whom 
were  present  at  the  meetings. 

From  the  South  Asbury  returned  to  Philadelphia, 
where  he  was  confined  by  lameness  for  two  months, 
and  in  August,  1801,  he  again  commenced  his  conti 
nental  journey.  An  arrangement  had  been  made 
that  he  should  go  West,  taking  with  him  as  a  travel- 


FRANCIS    ASBUBY.  329 

ing  companion  Nicholas  Snethen,  while  Whatcoat  was 
to  attend  the  Southern  Conference.  Proceeding 
through  Delaware,  Maryland,  and  Virginia,  to  Hoi- 
stein  River,  he  met  the  Western  Conference  at  Eben- 
ezer,  Tennessee. 

We  have  before  us  a  copy  of  the  Journal  of  the 
Western  Conference  from  the  beginning,  and  to 
show  the  preachers  of  the  present  day  the  manner 
in  which  the  Journals  were  then  kept,  we  will 
make  an  extract  or  two.  In  the  Minutes  for  1801 
we  find  the  following :  "  John  A.  Granade  came 
recommended  for  admission  on  trial.  It  is  the 
judgment  of  the  Conference  that  he  has  a  certain 
hardness  and  stubbornness  in  his  temper  which  has 
produced  some  improper  conclusions ;  but  as  he  has 
given  some  hopeful  assurance  that  in  future  he  will 
be  more  teachable,  and  as  his  piety  and  zeal  are  not 
doubted,  the  Conference  is  of  opinion  that  he  may 
be  admitted  after  receiving  a  special  counsel  from 
the  bishop."  Granade  was  a  man  of  remarkable  ec 
centricity  of  character,  and  would  often  express  his 
thoughts  in  poetic  verse.  He  proved  an  efficient 
itinerant ;  but  his  zeal  carrying  him  beyond  his 
strength,  and  being  exposed  to  the  hardships  of  the 
wilderness,  his  health  failed,  and  after  a  few  years  he 
was  obliged  to  retire  from  the  work.  At  this  Con 
ference  the  health  of  Poythress  was  such  that  he  was 
obliged  to  give  up  the  itinerancy.  In  giving  the 


330  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

reasons  for  the  selection  of  Cumberland  as  the  seat 
of  the  next  Conference,  the  Journal  records  the  fol 
lowing:  ulst.  The  union  and  friendly  state  of  affairs 
between  the  Methodists  and  Presbyterians ;  and,  2d, 
There  never  was  a  Conference  held  there,"  reasons 
which  proved  conclusive. 

From  this  Conference  the  bishop  recrossed  the 
mountains,  and  spent  the  winter  traveling  and 
preaching  in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia.  In  the 
spring  he  returned  to  Baltimore,  and  after  attending 
the  Middle  Conferences  he  accompanied  Whatcoat 
to  Maine.  Returning  he  stopped  at  "Waltham,"  and 
found  a  quiet  retreat  in  the  hospitable  mansion  of  his 
old  friend,  Mr.  Abraham  Bemis.  This  delightful 
place,  surrounded  by  beautiful  scenery,  and  adorned 
with  all  the  elegancies  of  wealth  and  refinement,  was 
a  favorite  resort  of  Asbury.  The  contrast  between 
such  a  place  of  rest  and  refreshment,  and  one  where 
there  was  but  one  room  and  fire-place,  and  a  half- 
dozen  inmates,  where  "  he  had  to  preach,  read,  write, 
pray,  sing,  talk,  eat,  drink,  and  sleep,"  was  doubtless 
very  great.  In  many  of  his  rides  through  the  western 
wilderness  the  pioneer  bishop  sometimes  had  not  even 
as  good  accommodations  as  we  have  just  described. 
Often  he  had  to  sleep  in  the  woods,  if  sleep  he  could 
for  the  wild  beasts  which  infested  them. 

During  this  year  the  following  remarks  occur  in  his 
Journal:  "I  find  reasons  enough  in  my  own  mind  to 


FRANCIS    ASBUEY.  331 

justify  myself  against  the  low  murmurs  of  partiality 
in  which  some  have  indulged.  I  am  impartial.  I 
spend  as  much  time  in  the  extremities,  and  know 
no  Maryland  or  Delaware,  after  the  flesli,  more  than 
Kentucky,  Cumberland,  Georgia,  or  the  Carolinas. 
It  is  our  duty  to  save  the  health  of  the  preachers 
where  we  can,  to  make  particular  appointments  for 
some  important  charges,  and  it  is  our  duty  to  em 
brace  all  parts  of  the  continent  and  Union  after  the 
example  of  primitive  times,  and  the  first  and  faith 
ful  preachers  in  America." 

While  at  the  session  of  the  Baltimore  Conference 
this  year,  the  sad  intelligence  of  the  death  of  his 
mother  reached  him.  We  find  in  his  Journal  the  fol 
lowing  touching  and  beautiful  tribute  to  her  memory : 

"  Her  paternal  descent  was  Welsh,  from  a  family 
ancient  and  respectable  of  the  name  of  Rogers.  She 
lived  a  woman  of  the  world  till  the  death  of  her  only 
daughter,  Sarah  Asbury.  How  would  the  bereaved 
mother  weep  and  tell  of  the  beauties  and  excellences 
of  her  lost  and  lovely  child,  pondering  on  the  past  in 
the  silent  suffering  of  hopeless  grief!  This  afflictive 
providence  graciously  terminated  in  the  mother's 
conversion.  When  she  saw  herself  a  lost  and 
wretched  sinner  she  sought  religious  people.  But 
4 in  the  times  of  this  ignorance'  few  were  'sound  iii 
the  faith,'  or  '  faithful  to  the  grace  given.'  Many 
were  the  days  she  spent  alone,  chiefly  in  reading  and 


332  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

prayer.     At  length  she  found  justifying  grace  and 
pardoning  mercy." 

The  parents  of  Asbury  were  not  by  any  means  in 
affluent  circumstances.  He  was  constantly  remitting 
to  them  all  the  money  he  could  possibly  spare  from 
America.  Some  of  his  letters  to  them  are  preserved, 
and  they  exhibit  a  beautiful  specimen  of  filial  love. 
"  I  have  had,"  says  he,  in  a  letter  to  his  father  and 
mother  in  1793,  "  considerable  pain  of  mind  from  in 
formation  received  that  the  money  was  not  paid.  I 
last  evening  made  arrangement  for  a  remittance  to  you. 
It  will  come  into  your  hands  in  the  space  of  three  or 
four  months.  My  salary  is  sixty-four  dollars.  I  have 
sold  my  watch  and  library,  and  would  sell  my  shirts 
before  you  should  want.  I  have  made  a  reserve  for 
you.  I  spend  very  little  on  my  own  account.  My 
friends  find  me  some  clothing.  The  contents  of  a 
small  pair  of  saddle-bags  will  do  for  me,  and  one 
coat  a  year.  Your  son  Francis  is  a  man  of  honor 
and  conscience.  As  my  father  and  my  mother  never 
disgraced  me  by  an  act  of  dishonesty,  I  hope  to  echo 
back  the  same  sound  of  an  honest,  upright  man.  I 
am  well  satisfied  that  the  Lord  saw  fit  you  should  be 
my  parents  rather  than  the  king  and  queen,  or  any 
of  the  great.  I  sometimes  think  you  will  outlive  me. 
I  have  made  my  will,  and  left  my  all  to  you,  and 
that  is  soon  done.  While  I  live  and  do  well,  I  shall 
remember  you  every  year.  O  that  your  last  days 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  333 

may  be  your  best,  and  that  you  may  not  only  live 
long,  but  live  well  and  die  well !" 

By  the  following  extract  it  would  seem  he  was 
seriously  thinking  of  returning  to  England  to  provide 
for  his  parents,  or  of  their  removing  to  America,  so 
as  to  be  near  him :  "  I  have  received  several  letters 
expressive  of  your  paternal  love  and  gratitude  toward 
me.  I  have  often  revolved  the  serious  thought  of 
my  return  to  you.  I  have  frequently  asked  myself 
if  I  could  retire  to  a  single  circuit,  step  down  and  act 
as  kiy  'preacher.  This,  if  I  know  my  own  heart,  is 
not' -my  difficulty.  With  humility  I  may  say  one 
hundred  thousand  respectable  citizens  of  the  new 
world,  three  hundred  traveling,  and  six  hundred 
local  preachers,  would  advise  me  not  to  go.  I  hope 
the  voice  of  the  people  is  the  voice  of  God.  At 
present  we  have  more  work  than  faithful  workmen. 
I  am  like  Joseph,  I  want  to  have  my  parents  near 
me.  I  am  not  ashamed  of  your  poverty,  and  I  hope, 
after  so  many  years  professing  religion,  yon  will  not 
be  wanting  in  piety.  I  have  considered  you  have 
that  which  is  my  joy  and  my  glory ;  that  you  have 
had  for  forty  years  open  doors  for  religious  exercises 
when  no  other  would  or  even  dare  do  it.  It  is  a 
serious  subject  whether  you  think  it  is  your  duty 
still  to  keep  a  place  for  preaching,  or  if  on  your 
removal  the  Gospel  will  be  taken  from  the  place. 
Yet  when  I  think  you  have  no  child  with  you,  nor 


334  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

friend  that  careth  for  you,  the  distress  of  the  land, 
and  the  high  prices  of  provisions,  I  wish  to  see  you, 
and  have  you  near  me.  It  is  true,  while  I  live  you 
will  live  also,  if  I  keep  my  place  and  piety.  I  study 
daily  what  I  can  do  without.  One  horse,  and  that 
sometimes  borrowed,  one  coat,  one  waistcoat — the 
last  coat  and  waistcoat  I  used  about  fourteen  months 
— four  or  five  shirts,  and  four  or  five  books.  I  am  in 
doubt,  if  I  should  be  called  away,  you  will  not  be 
provided  for  so  well  in  England  as  in  America, 
among  those  for  whom  I  have  faithfully  labored 
these  twenty-four  years.  It  is  true,  you  are  not  im 
mortal  any  more  than  myself,  and  judging  according 
to  the  nature  of  things  you  may  go  first,  one  or  both 
of  you.  All  these  things  I  have  weighed  in  my 
mind.  I  wish  you  to  consider  the  matter,  and  ask 
much  counsel  of  God,  and  of  your  best  and  most  im 
partial  friends.  I  wish  you,  after  considering  the 
matter,  to  send  me  another  letter.  Whether  I  be 
present  or  absent,  dead  or  alive,  I  trust  my  friends  in 
Baltimore  will  take  care  of  you  by  my  help.  You 
have  spent  many  pounds  upon  Christian  people,  I 
know,  from  my  childhood.  Happy  was  I  when  this 
was  done,  and  I  hope  it  will  come  home  to  you  in 
mercy.  You  must  make  it  matter  of  much  fasting 
and  prayer  before  you  attempt  anything.  You  must 
not  expect  to  see  me  more  than  twice  a  year." 

He  afterward  concluded,  however,  that  their  inter- 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  335 

eat  would  be  best  promoted  by  remaining  in  England, 
and  wrote  as  follows:  "Perhaps  I  was  constrained, 
from  the  high  sense  of  filial  duty  I  had,  to  invite  you 
here.  I  now  think  you  are  much  better  where  you 
are.  I  sincerely  wish  I  could  come  to  see  you,  but 
I  see  no  way  to  do  it  without  sinning  against  God 
and  the  Church.  Since  I  wrote  I  have  traveled 
nearly  two  thousand  five  hundred  miles,  through 
Georgia,  South  and  North  Carolina,  Virginia,  Mary 
land,  and  Delaware.  Hard  wear  and  hard  fare; 
but  I  arn  healthy  and  lean,  gray-headed,  and  dim- 
sighted." 

On  making  his  parents  a  remittance  of  money  in 
1795,  he  says:  "Were  it  ten  thousand  per  year,  if  I 
had  it  in  my  possession,  you  should  be  welcome  if 
you  had  need  of  it." 

After  news  had  arrived  of  the  death  of  his  father, 
he  wrote  as  follows  to  "his  mother:  "From  the  in 
formation  I  have  received  I  fear  my  venerable  father 
is  no  more  an  inhabitant  of  this  earth.  You  are  a 
widow  and  I  am  an  orphan  with  respect  to  my 
father.  I  cannot  tell  how  to  advise  you  in  this  im 
portant  change.  You  have  made  yourself  respectable 
and  extensive  friends,  who,  though  they  cannot  give 
to  you,  can  comfort  you.  I  have  been,  as  you  have 
heard,  afflicted  by  excessive  labors  of  mind  and  body. 
I  had  to  neglect  writing,  reading,  and  preaching  for 
a  time.  I  had  to  stop  and  lie  by  in  some  precious 


336  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

families,  where  parents  and  children,  in  some  meas 
ure,  supplied  your  absence.  I  lay  by  in  Virginia. 
When  you  hear  the  name  you  will  love  it  unseen,  for 
you  will  say,  'That  is  the  place  where  my  Frank  was 
sick.'  I  am  now  much  mended.  I  move  in  a  little 
carriage,  being  unable  to  ride  on  horseback.  Were 
you  to  see  me,  and  the  color  of  my  hair — nearly  that 
of  your  own !  My  eyes  are  weak  even  with  glasses. 
When  I  was  a  child,  and  would  pry  into  the  Bible 
by  twinkling  firelight,  you  used  to  say,  '  Frank,  you 
will  spoil  your  eyes.'  It  is  a  grief  to  me  that  I  can 
not  preach  as  heretofore.  I  am  greatly  worn  out  at 
fifty-five ;  but  it  is  a  good  cause.  God  is  with  me ; 
my  soul  exults  in  God." 

These  extracts  we  have  given  in  order  to  exhibit 
the  amiable  and  filial  spirit  of  this  good  man,  who, 
though  prevented  by  the  pressing  duties  of  his  respon 
sible  station  from  ever  visiting  his  father  and  mother 
in  their  old  age,  spared  no  pains  to  cheer  and  aid 
them  in  the  decline  of  life.  The  high  position  he 
occupied  in  America  did  not  make  him  forget  the 
village  of  his  birth,  nor,  amid  all  the  thousands  in 
America  who  admired  and  loved  him,  did  he  forget 
the  humble  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  Asbury.  Much 
did  he  desire  to  see  them  again ;  but  their  faces  he 
saw  no  more ;  father  and  mother  had 

"  Gone  from  a  world  of  grief  and  sin, 
With  God  eternally  shut  in." 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  337 

When  he  arrived  at  Petersburg!!,  Virginia,  he 
learned  that  his  old  friend,  the  Eev.  Devereux 
Jarratt,  was  no  more.  He  was,  as  we  have  already 
seen,  a  zealous  and  devoted  minister  of  the  Prot 
estant  Episcopal  Church  and  a  most  successful 
preacher.  He  had  witnessed  several  revivals  of 
religion  in  his  parish.  When  he  began  his  labors 
there  was  no  other  evangelical  minister  in  the  prov 
ince.  He  traveled  into  several  counties,  and  there 
were  very  few  parish  churches  within  fifty  miles  of 
his  own  in  which  he  had  not  preached,  and  .to  which 
labors  of  love  he  added  preaching  the  word  of  life  on 
solitary  plantations.  He  was  the  first  who  received 
the  despised  Methodist  preachers;  when  strangers 
and  unfriended,  he  took  them  to  his  house  and  had 
societies  formed  in  his  parish.  The  friends  of  Mr. 
Jarratt  desired  the  bishop  to  preach  his  funeral  dis 
course,  which  he  did  to  an  immense  congregation 
from  the  passage,  "Well  clone,  good  and  faithful 
servant ;  thou  hast  been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  I 
will  make  thee  ruler  over  many  things:  enter  thou 
into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord."  The  following  is  an  out 
line  of  the  discourse  :  I.  A  good  servant  is  only  good 
in  the  relation  which  his  practice  and  experience 
bear  to  the  example  and  precept  of  his  Divine  Mas 
ter.  Hence  his  goodness  is  a  Christian  goodness, 
founded  altogether  on  grace.  II.  A  faithful  servant 
is  one  who  is  faithful  to  his  ministerial  character, 

22 


338  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

faithful  in  the  discharge  of  the  duties  pertaining  to 
his  holy  calling,  (1.)  in  preaching  the  word ;  (2.)  in 
administering  the  sacraments  and  ordinances ;  (3.)  in 
ruling  the  Church  of  God.  III.  The  results  of  such 
fidelity.  A  glorious  entrance  to  heaven. 

At  the  New  York  Conference  in  1802  Asbury  pre 
sided,  and  to  show  the  estimate  placed  upon  him  by 
the  preachers  of  that  day,  we  insert  the  following 
testimony  from  one  who  has  recently  entered  into 
rest :  "  The  beloved  Bishop  Asbury,  that  true  son  of 
Wesley,  .that  apostle  of  American  Methodism,  sent 
out  from  the  evangelical  school  of  the  purest  order 
and  best  authority  of  original  Methodists  in  England, 
grown  up  with  our  growth,  a  pioneer  among  our  mount 
ains,  and  vales,  and  forests,  over  our  rivers  and  lakes 
till  our  Revolutionary  war,  when  he  retired  for  a  sea 
son,  as  he  was  a  messenger  of  peace.  He  has  shown, 
by  the  path  of  love  and  moderation,  the  Gospel  ex 
ample  amid  the  roar  of  cannon,  and  the  din  of  war, 
and  effusion  of  human  blood,  and  the  shout  of  liberty, 
that  he  was  a  true  son  of  peace.  He  awaited  for  the 
dove  with  the  olive-branch,  when  he  came  from  his 
retirement  and  emerged  from  the  clouds  a  star  of  the 
first  magnitude,  whose  glory  has  known  no  eclipse. 
He  steadily  shone  in  our  hemisphere  till  mortality 
was  swallowed  up  of  life.  This  is  that  disciple  who 
steadied  our  helm  and  commanded  our  ship.  With 
the  affection  of  a  father  he  conducted  our  business 


FRANCIS   ASBURY.  339 

and  appointed  our  work.  A  man,  dead  to  the  world, 
of  one  work — the  salvation  of  souls.  The  zeal  of  the 
Lord's  house  consumed  him  till  he  wore  out  in  the 
work  and  expired  at  his  post.  In  the  intervals  of 
Conference  he  made, out  all  the  stations  alone,  often 
dropping  on  his  knees,  then  rising  and  writing  down 
appointments  according  to  the  wisdom  given  him." 

On  his  way  South,  after  reaching  Fredericktown, 
Virginia,  he  remarked:  "At  last,  after  more  than 
thirty  years'  labor,  the  Methodists  have  a  house  of 
worship  here  and  thirty  souls  in  fellowship."  On  his 
way  to  Tennessee  he  passed  through  that  portion  of 
Virginia  in  which  the  Natural  Bridge  is  found,  of 
which  he  gives  in  his  Journal  an  exact  description. 
As  he  gazed  upon  the  beautiful  arch  thrown  over  the 
chasm  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  above  the  surface 
of  the  stream  below,  he  was  filled  with  admiration  at 
the  scene.  When  he  reached  the  Holstein  he  found 
a  gracious  revival  in  progress.  At  witnessing  this 
work  of  the  Lord  he  was  led  to  exclaim :  "  Fourteen 
or  fifteen  times  have  I  toiled  over  the  mighty  mount 
ains,  and  nearly  twenty  years  have  we  labored  upon 
Holstein,  and  lo !  the  rage  of  wild  and  Christian  sav 
ages  is  tamed,  and  God  hath  glorified  himself." 
After  having  attended  Conference  at  Station  Camp, 
Tennessee,  he  started  with  M'Kendree  for  West 
Point.  He  was  greatly  afflicted  at  this  time  with 
acute  pain  in  his  whole  system.  On  his  way  he  was 


340  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

attacked  with  a  most  torturing  pain  in  his  knee,  at 
tended  with  a  swelling  of  both  his  feet.  Nothwith- 
standing  this,  however,  he  traveled  on.  After  cross 
ing  the  Cumberland  River  night  overtook  them, 
and  they  encamped  under  what  he  called  a  heavy 
mountain-dew.  He  thus  describes  the  encampment : 
"  Brother  M'Kendree  made  me  a  tent  of  his  own  and 
John  Watson's  blankets,  and  happily  saved  me  from 
taking  cold  while  I  slept  two  hours  under  my  grand 
marquee.  Brother  M'Kendree  threw  his  cloak  over 
the  limb  of  a  tree,  and  he  and  his  companion  took 
shelter  beneath  and  slept  also.  I  will  not  be  rash  in 
my  protestations  against  any  country,  but  I  think  I 
will  never  more  brave  the  wilderness  without  a  tent. 
My  dear  M'Kendree  had  to  lift  me  up  and  down 
from  my  horse  like  a  helpless  child.  For  my  sick 
ness  and  sufferings  I  conceive  I  am  indebted  to 
sleeping  uncovered  in  the  wilderness.  I  could  not 
have  slept  but  for  the  aid  of  laudanum ;  meantime 
my  spirits  and  patience  were  wonderfully  preserved 
in  general,  although  I  was  hardly  restrained  some 
times  from  crying,  Lord,  let  me  die,  for  death  hath 
no  terrors!  and  I  could  not  but  reflect  upon  my 
escape  from  the  toils  and  sufferings  of  another  year." 
Notwithstanding  all  his  sufferings,  he  toiled  on  over 
rugged  mountains  and  through  dense  forests  until  he 
completed  his  usual  journey  of  six  thousand  miles  for 
the  year. 


FRANCIS    ASBUKY.  341 

While  in  South  Carolina  he  made  the  following 
observation  in  regard  to  the  planters :  "  Whenever 
our  preachers  gain  the  confidence  of  the  lowland 
planters,  so  that  the  masters  will  give  us  all  the  lib 
erty  we  ought  to  have,  there  will  be  thousands  of 
the  poor  slaves  converted  to  God.  The  patient  must 
be  personally  visited  by  the  physician  before  advice 
and  medicine  will  be  proper,  and  so  it  is  and  must 
ever  be  with  the  sin-sick  soul  and  the  spiritual  physi 
cian."  And  thus  it  proved  ;  for  notwithstanding  the 
reiterated  declaration  of  the  Church  on  the  subject 
of  slavery,  the  confidence  of  the  master  has  been 
gained,  and  masters  and  slaves  have  alike  been  con 
verted  to  God,  and  brought  into  the  same  Christian 
brotherhood.  Had  any  other  course  been  adopted 
than  what  Asbury  suggested  and  advised,  the  two 
hundred  thousand  slaves  now  in  the  bosom  of  the 
Church  would  have  been  in  a  state  of  the  most 
wretched  spiritual  bondage,  and  more  effectually 
excluded  from  the  Gospel  than  their  brethren  in  the 
wild  and  hitherto  inaccessible  regions  of  Africa. 

On  his  return  from  his  Southern  tour  he  held  Con 
ference  in  Baltimore.  Sixty-four  effective  preachers 
were  now  connected  with  the  Conference.  On  Sab 
bath  he  preached  three  times,  morning,  afternoon, 
and  evening,  and  gave  the  following  reasons  why 
he  did  not  preach  more  during  the  session  :  1.  Be 
cause  there  were  many  zealous,  acceptable  preachers 


342  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

present ;  2.  Because  he  desired  to  be  a  man  of  one 
business,  and  to  have  his  mind  free :  and  3.  Because 
he  had  neither  bodily  nor  mental  strength  to  preside 
in  the  Conference,  and  take  so  great  a  part  in  par 
ticular  duties  as  its  head,  to  receive  the  continual 
application  of  so  many  preachers  on  so  many  subjects 
presented  at  that  time. 

The  bishop  paid  the  following  merited  compliment 
to  the  Baltimore  Conference  :  "  In  regard  to  finances 
they  have  had  a  surplus.  They  have  supported  wives, 
widows,  and  children,  and  in  the  present  instance 
have  supplied  the  contingencies  of  those  preachers 
who  have  gone  to  distant  parts,  besides  giving  one 
hundred  dollars  to  the  Philadelphia,  and  as  much  to 
the  Conferences  of  New  York  and  Boston."  The 
Baltimore  Conference,  it  must  be  conceded  by  all, 
has  raised  the  proudest  monument  to  American 
Methodism  in  the  zeal  and  success  which  has  crowned 
her  labors,  and  Baltimore,  one  of  the  ancient  seats  of 
Methodism,  deserves  to  hold  the  urn  that  contains 
the  ashes  of  the  sainted  Asbury.  It  is  not  the  least 
praise  of  this  monumental  city  that  the  sons  of  the 
devoted  Asbury  have,  with  characteristic  nobleness 
of  spirit,  resolved  to  erect  a  monument  over  his 
remains. 

After  the  Conference  was  ended  he  sought  rest  in 
the  calm  and  quiet  retreat  of  Perry  Hall.  From 
hence  he  went  to  Philadelphia,  and  so  on  through 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  343 

ISTew  Jersey  to  New  York.  "While  here  he  signed  a 
memorial  for  obtaining  in  court  a  legal  claim  to  the 
£400  left  by  Miss  De  Peyster  to  the  bishops  and 
clergy  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  same.  On  Sabbath  he  preached  in  the 
John -street  Church  from  James  iii,  17.  His  sermon 
was  spoken  of  at  the  time  as  one  of  great  interest 
and  power.  The  following  is  an  outline : 

I.  The   wisdom   that   cometh   from   above   is   re 
vealed   and  inspired.     It  is  pure,  negatively:    It  is 
not  mixed  by  its  Divine  Author  with  that  wisdom 
which  is  earthly,  sensual,    and  devilish.     It   is   not 
mixed  with  the  policy,  or  pleasures,  or  profits  of  this 
world,  or  of  sin,  which  is  of  hell.     The  apostle  hath 
written,  "pure  religion,"  and  this  cannot  be  when 
mingled  with  such  qualities,  all  of  which  spring  from 
men  or  devils. 

II.  The  wisdom  that  cometh  from  above  is  pure, 
positively:    It    is   pure    in    conviction,   repentance, 
faith,    regeneration,    and    sanctification.      It   is    the 
operative  principle  of  grace  in  the  soul  as  internally 
and  externally  manifested.     It  is  peaceable  in  rela 
tion  to  God  and  all  mankind,  to  the  Church  and  the 
world,  and  the  tranquillity  of  the  soul.     It  is  gentle, 
amiable   in   all   its   ministrations,  never   stormy,   or 
sour,  or  haughty  and  overbearing.     Easy  to  be  en 
treated  to  do  and  suffer  anything  that  is   right   for 
the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  souls.     "  Impartial- 


344  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

ity."  This  is  the  Christian  dress.  Not  bound  and 
pinched  by  countries,  names,  forms,  and  opinions. 
It  neither  envies  the  rich  on  account  of  their  afflu 
ence,  nor  despises  or  neglects  the  poor  on  account  of 
their  poverty.  "  Without  hypocrisy."  Sincerity  is  the 
incontestible  evidence  to  God  and  man  of  our  posses 
sion  of  the  heavenly  treasure,  of  that  wisdom  that 
cometh  from  above.  People  may  go  upon  fancies, 
and  be  ready  to  die  with  raptures;  but  if  they  are 
turbulent,  ungovernable,  self-willed,  and  false  toward 
their  fellow  or  toward  their  God,  their  religion  is 
vain.  Whatever  it  may  once  have  been,  it  is  not 
the  gold  of  the  sanctuary  now,  but  a  counterfeit, 
alloyed  by  a  mixture  of  the  wisdom  of  this  world." 

From  New  York  he  proceeded  on  his  Eastern  tour 
through  Connecticut  to  Boston,  where  he  held  a  Con 
ference.  Speaking  of  New  England,  he  says  :  "  Poor 
New  England,  she  is  the  valley  of  dry  bones  still ! 
Come,  O  breath  of  the  Lord,  and  breathe  upon  these 
slain,  that  they  may  live !"  At  this  Conference  he 
ordained  Joshua  Soule  and  Nathan  Emery  elders, 
the  former  of  whom  is  the  senior  bishop  of  the  Meth 
odist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  now  advanced  in 
years  and  quite  feeble  in  health;  the  latter  a  few 
years  past  closed  his  earthly  labors  in  Ohio. 

From  Boston  he  directed  his  course  to  Ashgrove, 
on  the  Hudson,  where,  as  we  have  seen,  the  father 
of  Methodism  in  New  York  had  taken  up  his  abode, 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  345 

and  where  his  ashes  now  rest.  Passing  through 
New  Hampshire  and  Vermont,  he  at  length  reached 
Asligrove,  where  he  held  the  New  York  Conference. 
Nearly  seventy  preachers  were  present,  and  on  Sab 
bath  Asbury  preached  to  two  thousand  hearers. 
Crossing  the  Hudson  he  passed  over  into  New 
Jersey,  and  thence,  after  stopping  and  preaching 
at  different  places  on  the  route,  he  proceeded  on  to 
Philadelphia. 

This  year  (1803)  he  took  a  different  route  to  the 
West.  He  went  by  Lancaster,  Columbia,  and  York, 
to  Carlisle,  and  from  thence,  through  Shippensburg, 
Strasburg,  and  Emmetsburg,  he  proceeded  to  the 
Juniata,  which  he  crossed  near  Bedford.  From 
thence  he  went  to  Connelsville,  on  the  Youghiogheny, 
and  thus  on  to  the  Monongahela,  which  he  followed 
down  to  Pittsburgh.  He  then  proceeded  down  the 
Ohio  to  Wheeling,  and  from  thence  through  the  woods 
to  Zanesville,  a  long  and  weary  ride.  Taking  Zane's 
Trace,  he  started  for  Chillicothe,  stopping  on  the  way 
at  Lancaster.  From  Chillicothe  he  struck  again  for 
the  Ohio,  and  proceeded  to  Paris,  Kentucky,  where 
he  held  the  Western  Conference.  During  this  tour 
he  was  considerably  afflicted,  and  at  times  unusually 
dispirited.  He  says,  however,  in  the  midst  of  all  his 
toils  and  hardships  :  "  I  felt  wholly  given  up  to  do 
and  suffer  the  will  of  the  Lord,  to  be  sick  or  well,  to 
live  or  die  at  any  time  and  in  any  place,  the  fields, 


346  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

the  woods,  the  house,  or  the  wilderness.  Glory  be  to 
God  for  such  resignation !  I  have  little  to  leave 
except  a  journey  of  five  thousand  miles  a  year, 
care  of  more  than  a  hundred  thousand  souls,  and 
the  arrangement  of  four  hundred  preachers  yearly, 
to  which  I  may  add  the  murmurs  and  discontents 
of  ministers  and  people.  Who  wants  this  legacy? 
Those  who  do  are  welcome  to  it  for  me." 

While  in  Kentucky  he  paid  a  visit  to  his  old  friend, 
Dr.  Hinde,  a  physician  who  resided  in  Clark  county. 
Here  he  was  received  with  the  greatest  cordiality,  and 
treated  as  a  patriarch  and  the  honored  father  of  West 
ern  Methodism.  Dr.  Hinde  was  the  family  physician 
of  the  celebrated  General  Wolfe.  He  was  a  native  of 
England,  but  came  to  America  with  General  Wolfe 
in  the  time  of  the  French  war.  He  had  been  a  pro 
fessed  deist,  and  a  decided  enemy  to  Christianity,  but 
was  converted  from  the  error  of  his  way  through  the 
example  of  his  wife.  His  conversion  was  brought 
about  on  this  wise.  His  wife  and  daughter  having 
joined  the  Methodist  Church,  the  latter  was  banished 
from  home  and  the  former  put  under  medical  treat 
ment  for  what  the  doctor  feigned  to  regard  as  insanity. 
His  remedy  was  a  blister  plaster  extending  the  whole 
length  of  the  back,  which  was  left  on  for  several 
days.  The  fortitude  and  meekness  with  which  the 
Christian  wife  bore  her  persecutions  resulted  in  the 
doctor's  conviction  and  subsequent  conversion. 


FEANCIS    ASBURY.  347 

Dr.  Hinde  was  now  considerably  advanced  in 
life,  and  had  not  attended  to  any  professional  calls 
for  many  years.  At  a  late  hour  in  the  night  a 
messenger  arrived  at  his  house  with  two  horses,  in 
great  haste.  A  neighbor  of  his  in  the  country  had 
been  seriously  and  suddenly  attacked  with  a  disease 
which  baffled  the  skill  of  the  physician  in  attend 
ance,  and  at  his  suggestion  Dr.  Hinde  was  sent  for. 
When  the  messenger  rapped  at  the  door  the  doctor 
hoisted  the  window,  and  received  from  him  the  request 
of  the  attending  physician,  that  if  it  was  possible  he 
would  come  to  his  assistance,  as  the  man  must  have 
relief  soon  or  die.  The  doctor  was  in  feeble  health, 
and  replied  that  he  did  not  think  he  was  able  to 
undertake  the  journey.  The  night  was  dark  and 
stormy,  and  the  road  through  the  woods  rough  and 
dangerous.  Asbury  overheard  the  conversation,  and 
shouted  out,  "  Go,  doctor,  instantly,  and  save  the 
man's  life."  "It  seemed,"  as  Dr.  Hinde  afterward 
remarked,  "  that  the  voice  was  as  it  were  from 
heaven,"  and  he  could  not  disobey.  He  dressed 
himself  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  was  soon  in  the 
saddle  of  the  extra  horse,  following  his  guide  through 
the  dark  and  tangled  thicket  of  the  wood.  After 
riding  several  miles  as  fast  as  they  could  for  the 
darkness,  they  at  length  arrived  at  the  cabin  of  the 
sufferer.  He  found  his  patient  in  great  agony,  and 
apparently  dying.  He  soon,  however,  detected  the 


348  LIFE    AlSrD    TIMES    OF 

cause  of  the  disease  which  was  working  death,  and 
immediately  applied  a  remedy.  The  man  was 
speedily  relieved,  and  early  in  the  morning  the 
doctor  arrived  at  home.  When  he  met  Asbury  the 
first  words  that  fell  upon  his  ear  were,  "Well,  doctor, 
how  is  your  patient  ?"  His  reply  was,  "  To  you, 
bishop,  under  the  blessing  of  God,  that  man  owes  his 
life,  as  he  must  have  died  before  morning."  "  As 
long  as  you  can  drag  yourself  about  always  be  found 
doing  something,"  said  the  bishop. 

Of  this  advice  Asbury  was  himself  a  living  exam 
ple.  Neither  old  age  nor  sickness,  when  he  could  but 
just  sit  upon  his  horse,  having  frequently  to  be  lifted 
to  and  taken  from  the  saddle,  deterred  him  from  the 
work ;  he  was  still  found  in  the  discharge  of  duty. 

About  this  time  several  preachers,  who  had  located 
and  engaged  somewhat  in  land  speculation,  were 
handled  pretty  severely  by  the  bishop  in  his  sermons. 
Speaking  of  a  certain  place  where  there  were  a  num 
ber  of  this  class,  he  said  :  "  The  place  is  cursed  with 
apostate  Methodist  preachers,  and  unless  they  repent 
and  go  back  to  their  work  God  will  curse  them."  In 
many  instances  this,  alas  !  proved  true.  Some  who 
had  engaged  in  such  speculations,  and  others  who 
had  become  traders  and  merchants,  failed,  and  be 
came  hopelessly  bankrupt  in  property  and  character. 

When  the  bishop  arrived  in  Tennessee,  he  writes : 
"  What  a  road  we  have  passed !  Certainly  the  worst 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  349 

on  the  whole  continent,  even  in  the  best  weather ; 
yet  bad  as  it  was  there  were  four  or  five  hundred 
crossing  the  mountains  while  we  were.  I  was  pow 
erfully  struck  with  the  consideration  that  there  were 
at  least  as  many  as  a  thousand  emigrants  from  east  to 
west  annually.  We  must  take  care  to  send  preachers 
after  these  people.  A  man  who  is  well  mounted  will 
scorn  to  complain  of  the  roads  when  he  sees  men, 
women,  and  children,  almost  naked,  paddling  barefoot 
and  bare-legged  along,  or  laboring  up  the  rocky 
ascent,  while  those  who  are  best  off  have  only  one 
horse  for  two  or  three  children  to  ride  at  once.  If 
these  adventurers  have  little  or  nothing  to  eat,  it  is 
no  extraordinary  circumstance,  and  not  uncommon  to 
encamp  in  the  wet  woods  after  night.  In  the  mount 
ains  it  does  not  rain,  but  pours." 

From  Tennessee  he  traveled  through  North  and 
South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  visiting  the  Churches. 
"While  in  the  latter  state  he  took  occasion  to  make  a 
few  observations  on  the  ignorance  of  foolish  men 
who  rail  against  the  government  of  the  Church. 
"The  Methodists,"  he  said,  "acknowledge  no  supe 
riority  but  what  is  founded  on  seniority,  election,  and 
long  and  faithful  services.  For  myself,  I  pity  those 
who  cannot  distinguish  between  a  pope  of  Rome  and 
an  old  worn  man  of  about  sixty  years,  who  has  the 
power  given  him  of  riding  five  thousand  miles  a  year, 
at  a  salary  of  eighty  dollars,  through  summer's  heat 


350  LIFE   AND    TIMES    OF 

and  winter's  cold ;  traveling  in  all  weathers,  preach 
ing  in  all  places,  his  best  covering  from  rain  often  a 
blanket;  the  surest  sharpener  of  his  wit,  hunger,  from 
fasts,  voluntary  and  involuntary  ;  his  best  fare  for  six 
months  in  the  year,  coarse  kindness ;  and  his  reward 
from  too  many,  suspicion,  munnurings,  and  envy  all 
the  year  round."  "Well  did  this  faithful  servant  of 
the  Church  need  a  "  testimony  in  heaven  and  a 
record  on  high."  From  Georgia  he  returned  to 
Virginia  and  held  Conference,  and  from  thence 
directed  his  course  to  Baltimore,  where  the  General 
Conference  was  to  be  held,  which  ended  his  conti 
nental  tour  this  year. 

An  incident  occurred  during  this  tour  of  the 
West,  in  1803,  which  we  will  relate.  After  attend 
ing  the  Western  Conference,  near  Cynthiana,  Ken 
tucky,  where  he  preached  to  ten  thousand  people  in 
the  woods,  he  started  out,  in  company  with  several 
preachers,  on  his  return  tour.  In  the  midst  of  the 
wilderness,  between  the  Crab  Orchard  and  Powell's 
Valley,  he  halted  one  night  at  a  rude  log  cabin 
tavern,  a  kind  of  half-way  house  in  the  wilderness. 
The  house  was  filled  with  a  rough  company  of  wild 
mountain  hunters.  They  had  been  drinking  and  ca 
rousing,  and  when  the  preachers  entered  loud  oaths 
fell  upon  their  ears  from  a  company  around  a  card- 
table.  Low-bred  as  the  landlord  was,  he  had  sufficient 
respect  left  to  invite  his  newly  arrived  guests  into 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  351 

another  room.  One  of  the  bar-room  company,  an 
old  Englishman,  on  finding  that  the  persons  who  had 
recently  come  were  preachers,  immediately  sauntered 
in,  and  walking  up  to  the  bishop,  commenced  ask 
ing  him  some  questions  on  the  subject  of  religion. 
The  bishop  asked  him  if  he  had  been  seeking 
religion. 

"  O  yes,"  replied  the  old  man,  "  for  a  long  time, 
but  I  have  not  found  it  yet.  I  have  succeeded  in 
one  thing;  a  Baptist  preacher  has  broken  me  off  from 
swearing  profanely." 

"Ah,"  replied  the  bishop.  "Well,  keep  on 
reforming,  and  you  may  come  out  a  good  man  at 
last." 

The  bishop  evidently  had  little  faith  in  his  sincerity, 
and  was  afterward  abundantly  confirmed  in  his  opin 
ion  by  hearing  him,  in  a  loud  voice,  cursing  and 
swearing  in  the  other  room.  At  length,  opening  the 
door,  the  bishop  said  to  him :  "  You  told  me  a  cer 
tain  Baptist  preacher  had  broken  you  off  from 
swearing,  but  I  find  you  can  lie  and  swear  both." 

At  this  the  Englishman  approached  him  and  said, 
"I  beg  your  pardon,  Bishop  Asbury." 

"  Ask  pardon  of  God,  whose  name  you  have  blas 
phemed  ;  repent  of  your  sins,  and  that  right  speedily, 
or  iniquity  will  prove  your  ruin." 

This  reproof  affected  the  whole  company  of  riot 
ers,  and  they  soon  left  the  house  to  quietness  and  the 


352  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

preachers.  After  supper  the  bishop  had  the  whole 
family  called  in,  read  a  chapter  in  the  Bible,  gave  a 
short  lecture,  and  offered  a  most  fervent  prayer. 
Early  next  morning,  while  preparing  for  their  de 
parture,  the  landlord  came  to  the  bishop  with  a  bot 
tle  and  a  glass,  and  asked  him  to  take  a  little 
whisky.  "  Kay,"  said  the  bishop,  "  I  make  no  use  of 
the  devil's  tea." 

It  was  not  without  some  misgivings  that  the 
preachers  started  out  upon  their  journey,  as  the  moun 
tain  hunters  had  among  them  a  class  of  desperadoes 
who  would  frequently  stop  at  these  wilderness  tav 
erns,  and  on  becoming  acquainted  with  the  char 
acter  of  the  travelers  who  stopped  for  the  night, 
would  leave,  and  laying  aside  their  hunting  dress, 
would  paint  themselves  and  put  on  the  garb  of  In 
dians,  and  intercepting  the  path  of  the  travelers, 
would  fall  upon  and  murder  and  rob  them.  Preach 
ers  were  doubtless  often  protected  from  the  fact  that 
they  had  but  little  that  would  be  an  object  of  plun 
der  except  their  horses. 


FKANCIS    ASBUKY.  353 


CHAPTER  XYIII. 

General  Conference  of  1804  — Conferences  represented  —  Eatio  of  Eepre- 
sentation  — Composition  of— Eevision  of  the  Discipline  — Boundaries 

—  Presiding  Elder  Question—  Eesolution  of  Garrettson  on  the  Subject 
of  Slavery— Dr.  Coke  granted  Leave  to  return  to  England  —  Perry 
Hall  — Philadelphia    and   New  York  — New   Haven  —  Middletown  — 
Conference   at   Buxton  —  Eemarkablc    Camp-meetings  —  Quakers    in 
Massachusetts  — Ehinebeck  — The  Congregations  in  New  York  — Ad 
dress  to  Quarterly  Conferences  —  Secessionists  return  — O'Kelly's  Zeal 

—  The  Methodist  People  independent  —  Eailers  —  Conference  in  Balti 
more— Camp-meeting  at  Musquito  Cove  on  Long  Island  — Brooklyn  — 
Regular  Succession— Asbury's  short  Way— Camp-meeting— New  York 
Conference  —  New  England  Conference  —  Yellow  Fever  at  New  Haven 

—  Prohibited  from  entering  New  York  and  Philadelphia  —  The  Alle- 
ghanies  —  Ohio    Eiver  —  Wheeling  —  Zanesville  —  Chillicothe  —  Lost 
in  the  Woods  — First  Visit  to  Cincinnati  —  Eeply  to  Dr.  Coke's  Letter 

—  Eesolution  in  regard  to  a  Delegated  General  Conference  — Danger 
ous  Illness  of  Bishop  Whatcoat  —  Camp-meeting  at  Philip's  Manor  — 
New  York  Conference  —  Establishing  the  Episcopacy  —  Mountains  of 
Western  Virginia— Camp-meeting  — Tour  among  the  Log  Cabins  of 
the  West  —  Encouragement. 

THE  General  Conference  of  1804  was  held  in  Balti 
more.  There  were  one  hundred  and  twelve  mem 
bers,  representatives  from  seven  Conferences,  present, 
Seventy  were  from  the  Baltimore  and  Philadelphia 
Conferences,  constituting  more  than  two  thirds  of  the 
entire  number.  Of  the  remaining  portion,  twelve 
were  from  the  ISTew  York,  seventeen  from  the  Vir- 
ginia,  four  each  from  the  Boston  and  Western,  and 
five  from  the  South  Carolina  Conferences.  The  Con 
ference  was  composed  of  all  the  preachers  who  had 

23 


354  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

traveled  four  years  consecutively  since  their  admis 
sion  on  trial  in  the  connection.  Afte»»  adjusting 
some  preliminary  matters,  such  as  adopting  rules 
for  the  government  of  the  body,  and  settling  the 
question  as  to  who  were  entitled  to  seats,  the  Con 
ference  resolved  to  proceed  to  a  revision  of  the  Dis 
cipline.  It  was  agreed  that  in  the  revision  it  should 
be  read  chapter  by  chapter,  section  by  section,  and 
paragraph  by  paragraph;  that  the  assent  to  every 
paragraph  which  was  not  debated  should  be  decided 
by  the  members  sitting,  and  the  assent  to  every  para 
graph  which  was  debated  should  be  decided  by  the 
members  rising.  The  assent  to  every  section,  except 
such  parts  as  had  been  expunged  or  abolished,  was 
to  be  decided  by  rising. 

After  settling  the  question  of  the  boundaries  of 
the  several  Annual  Conferences,  a  long  and  anima 
ted  discussion  was  had  on  the  subject  of  presiding 
elders.  The  discussion  was  elicited  by  a  motion 
to  abolish  the  office  entirely.  The  motion,  however, 
was  lost.  In  alluding  to  the  debate  on  this  subject, 
Asbury  remarked :  "  Attempts  were  made  upon  the 
ruling  eldership.  We  had  a  great  talk.  I  talked 
little  on  the  subject,  and  was  kept  in  peace." 

The  subject  of  slavery  was  introduced  by  a  resolu 
tion  offered  by  Freeborn  Garrettson,  the  import  of 
which  was,  that  the  bishops  be  requested  to  draft  a 
section  for  the  Discipline,  embracing  such  regulations 


FRANCIS    JP6BURY.  355 

and  provisions  as  would  adapt  it  to  the  southern  as 
well  as  northern  states.  The  action  of  the  last  Con 
ference  on  the  subject  had  created  no  little  dissatis 
faction,  and  especially  the  Address  to  the  Methodist 
people.  The  way  of  the  preachers  had  evidently 
been  hedged  up  in  several  places,  and  it  was  consid 
ered  important  that  the  General  Conference  should 
modify  its  action  on  the  subject.  Bishop  Asbury 
declining  to  act  with  the  episcopal  committee,  the 
subject  was  referred  to  a  committee  of  seven,  who, 
after  due  deliberation,  presented  a  report  which  was 
incorporated  in  the  Discipline  and  made  section  nine, 
entitled,  "  Of  Slavery."  The  section  contained  five 
rules,  requiring,  1st.  That  all  who  held  slaves  should 
give  security  for  their  emancipation,  immediately  or 
gradually,  as  the  laws  of  the  states  respectively  and 
the  circumstances  of  the  case  would  admit;  2d.  When, 
any  traveling  preacher  became  an  owner  of  a  slave 
or  slaves  by  any  means,  he  was  to  forfeit  his  minis*- 
terial  standing  unless  he  executed,  if  practicable,  a 
deed  of  emancipation  conformably  to  the  laws  of  the 
state  where  he  lived;  3d.  ~No  slaveholder  was  to  be 
received  into  full  membership  until  the  preacher  in 
charge  had  spoken  to  him  fully  and  faithfully  on  the 
subject;  4.  No  one  who  sold  a  slave,  except  in  cases 
of  mercy  or  humanity,  was  to  be  allowed  to  remain 
in  society,  and  if  any  one  purchased  a  slave  the  quar 
terly  meeting  Conference  was  to  determine  the  num- 


356  LIFE    AND    TIMES  OF 

ber  of  years  the  slave  should  serve  as  the  price  of  his 
purchase,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  the  master 
was  to  set  him  free.  Other  regulations  were  made 
in  regard  to  female  slaves,  providing  for  the  manu 
mission  of  such  of  their  children  as  might  be  born 
during  servitude.  This  and  the  preceding  rules  con 
tained  the  remarkable  proviso  exempting  the  states 
of  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  and  Georgia  from 
their  operation.  The  fifth  and  last  rule  required  the 
preachers  from  time  to  time,  as  occasion  served,  to 
admonish  and  exhort  all  slaves  to  render  due  respect 
and  obedience  to  the  commands  and  interests  of  their 
respective  masters. 

The  Conference,  agreeably  to  the  request  of  the 
European  Conferences,  granted  Dr.  Coke  leave  to 
return  to  England,  with  the  proviso  that  at  the  call 
of  three  Annual  Conferences,  in  the  interval  of  the 
General  Conference,  he  should  come  back  to  the 
United  States.  In  the  address  of  the  General  Con 
ference  to  the  British  and  Irish  Conferences,  the  fol 
lowing  allusion  is  made  to  the  doctor :  "  With  respect 
to  our  much  esteemed  friend  and  beloved  brother, 
Dr.  Coke,  we  would  say,  he  arrived  among  us  last 
Autumn,  and  was  received  by  us  with  sincerest  sen 
timents  of  respect  and  affection.  Since  he  came  into 
.these  states  he  has  traveled  about  three  thousand 
miles,  visiting  our  principal  societies,  and  preaching 
to  crowded  assemblies  of  our  citizens.  Your  request 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  35 7 

for  his  return  was  taken  into  our  most  serious  and 
solemn  consideration,  and  after  a  full  and  deliberate 
examination  of  the  reasons  which  you  assigned  in 
favor  of  his  return,  we  have  concluded  that  there  is 
a  probability  of  his  being  more  eminently  useful  at 
present  in  the  way  you  point  out,  than  for  us  to  re 
tain  him,  especially  as  our  beloved  brother  Asbury 
now  enjoys  better  health  than  he  did  some  years 
ago.  We  therefore  have  consented  to  the  doctor's 
return  to  Europe  on  the  express  condition  that  he 
will  come  back  to  us  at  any  time  when  three  of  our 
Annual  Conferences  shall  call  him,  or  at  farthest  that 
he  shall  return  to  our  next  General  Conference." 

To  that  favored  retreat,  Perry  Hall,  after  the  Con 
ference  was  ended,  Asbury  directed  his  course,  where, 
after  a  brief  rest,  he  started  out  on  his  Eastern  tour, 
holding  Conference  in  Philadelphia  and  New  York. 
From  the  latter  place  he  rode  to  New  Haven,  where 
he  preached  in  a  small  house  to  a  few  people.  While 
here  he  entered  the  following  in  his  Journal :  "  My 
soul  has  constant  peace  and  joy,  notwithstanding  my 
labors,  and  trials,  and  reproach,  which  I  heed  not, 
though  it  comes,  as  it  sometimes  does,  from  the  good, 
when  they  are  not  gratified  in  all  their  wishes.  Peo 
ple  unacquainted  with  the  causes  and  motives  of  my 
conduct  will  always  more  or  less  judge  of  me  improp 
erly.  Six  months  ago  a  man  could  write  to  me  in 
the  most  adulatory  terms  to  tell  me  of  the  unshaken 


358  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

confidence  reposed  in  me  by  preachers  and  people. 
Behold,  his  station  is  changed,  and  certain  measures 
are  pursued  that  do  not  comport  with  his  views  and 
feelings.  Then  I  am  menaced  with  the  downfall  of 
Methodism,  and  my  influence,  character,  and  reputa 
tion  are  all  to  find  a  grave  in  its  ruins.  First,  my 
mountain  is  made  so  strong  I  shall  never  be  moved. 
Anon,  O  man,  thou  hidest  thy  face  and  changest  thy 
voice,  and  I  must  be  troubled  forsooth.  But  I  am 
just  as  secure  as  ever  as  to  what  man  can  do  or  say." 

Censure  is  a  tax  invariably  imposed  upon  all  men 
who  rise  to  eminence  in  Church  or  state,  and  it  was 
not  to  be  expected  that  Asbury  would  escape.  It 
will  be  seen,  however,  from  the  above  that  he  bore 
it  with  Christian  patience  and  magnanimity.  As  a 
Christian  bishop  and  father,  he  did  not  lay  up  any 
thing  against  those  who  censured  him ;  at  least,  he 
never  allowed  a  remembrance  of  past  injury  to  weigh 
a  feather  in  the  exercise  of  his  episcopal  authority  in 
stationing  the  preachers.  His  motto  was  to  overcome 
evil  with  good. 

From  New  Haven  he  want  to  Middletown,  where 
the  members  of  the  Church  were  about  purchasing 
a  lot  whereon  to  build  a  small  house  of  worship.  The 
Conference  had  given  him  Sylvester  Hutchinson  as 
a  traveling  companion,  who  frequently  supplied  his 
place  in  the  pulpit.  Passing  through  Rhode  Island 
and  New  Hampshire,  they  came  to  Buxton,  where 


FRANCIS    ASBUEY.  359 

the  Conference  was  held,  and  at  which  fifty  souls 
were  converted.  Asbury  generally  considered  it  a 
barren  time  if  there  was  no  revival  at  a  Conference. 

While  journeying  through  Massachusetts  he  came 
to  Enh'eld,  near  to  which  was  a  settlement  of  the 
Quakers,  concerning  whom  he  said,  "  Poor  souls, 
they  have  landed  where  all  other  sects  have  landed. 
O  this  love  of  the  world !  But  the  Shakers  are  near 
the  end  of  the  world  :  they  forbid  to  marry ;  they  are 
as  the  angels  in  heaven."  After  passing  through  a 
portion  of  Massachusetts,  he  directed  his  course  to 
Rhinebeck,  on  the  Hudson,  where  he  preached  on 
Sabbath  in  an  orchard  to  about  one  thousand  people. 
The  next  two  or  three  days  he  spent  at  Widow  Sher 
wood's,  and  the  succeeding  Sabbath  went  to  New 
York,  where  he  preached  in  John-street,  complain 
ing  that  all  the  congregations  in  the  city  were  a 
valley  of  dry  bones.  From  New  York  he  took  his 
usual  route  through  New  Jersey,  Delaware,  and 
Maryland. 

At  the  yearly  Conference  held  in  Chestertown, 
Maryland,  an  address  was  sent  to  the  Quarterly 
Conference  of  the  Delaware  District,  embracing 
nearly  all  the  territory  now  included  in  the  Phila 
delphia  Conference.  The  Address  was  written 
and  signed  by  Asbury,  and  as  it  is  interesting,  both 
from  its  matter  and  style,  we  insert  it.  It  bears  date 
May  5,  1805,  and  is  as  follows : 


360  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

"DEARLY  BELOVED  IN  THE  LORD, — Graco  be  unto 
you,  and  peace  and  love  be  multiplied.  It  is  scarcely 
possible  for  you,  in  your  local  situation,  to  have 
correct  views  of  what  our  God  hath  done  for  us  as  a 
people  in  the  space  of  thirty-five  years.  We  think 
it  a  duty  we  owe  to  you  to  make  the  following  state 
ment.  The  Gospel,  by  our  ministry,  has  made  a  glo 
rious  progress  through  the  seventeen  United  States, 
the  territorial  settlements,  and  Canadian  provinces,  as 
may  be  seen  by  our  Annual  Minutes.  Should  we 
compute  the  distance  from  St.  Mary's,  in  Georgia,  10 
Montreal,  in  Canada,  it  would  be  found  to  be  seven 
teen  or  eighteen  hundred  miles ;  and  from  the  ex 
tremities  of  the  district  of  Maine  to  the  Natchez,  two 
thousand  miles.  What  but  a  traveling  ministry,  and 
a  very  rapid  one  too,  could  so  extensively  propagate 
the  ^Gospel  in  the  midst  of  so  much  opposition. 
There  are  now  more  than  one  hundred  thousand 
souls  in  fellowship  with  us,  and  perhaps  six  times  that 
number  who  look  up  to  us  for  ministerial  services, 
and  to  hear  the  word  of  life,  which  you  know  by 
happy  experience  to  be  the  power  of  God  unto  salva 
tion,  as  well  as  many  thousands  of  happy  souls  whom 
we  doubt  not  have  already  gone  to  glory.  We  have 
upward  of  four  hundred  traveling  preachers,  besides 
about  two  thousand  local  preachers  and  exhorters; 
a  source  from  whence  we  can  draw  supplies  to 
strengthen  and  replenish  our  traveling  connection. 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  361 

"  We  unanimously  express  our  high  regard  for  our 
local  brethren,  many  of  whom  have  long  traveled, 
labored,  and  suffered  with  us  in  the  vineyard  of  the 
Lord,  and  others  who  would  have  traveled  but  for 
secular  affairs.  Dear  brethren,  we  acknowledge 
your  great  usefulness.  You  cheerfully  labor  with  us 
when  we  are  present,  preserve  the  union  of  the  socie 
ties,  keep  up  the  congregations  and  prayer-meetings 
when  we  are  absent,  and  your  influence  can  and  does 
do  much  in  raising  class  collections  for  our  support. 
Our  apparent  increase  (in  the  Philadelphia  Confer 
ence)  this  year  is  small,  owing  in  part  to  migrations 
to  new  settlements,  and  the  uncommon  sickness  and 
mortality  of  last  autumn.  But  when  we  bring  into 
view  the  great  wastage  among  twenty-eight  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  twelve,  and  the  number  necessary 
to  repair  that  wastage,  we  shall  see  that  the  number 
received  must  have  been  very  considerable  to  give  us 
an  addition  of  six  hundred  and  twenty-four. 

"  Our  finances  for  the  present  year  are  better 
than  they  were  last,  owing  in  part  to  the  Albany 
district  (where  the  deficiencies  were  usually  great) 
being  attached  to  the  ISTew  York  Conference,  and  yet 
many  of  the  preachers  were  deficient  more  than 
twenty-three  per  cent.,  though  they  received  nothing 
for  their  children.  The  circuits  which  have  given 
liberally  will  please  accept  our  thanks.  We  have 
received  eight  preachers  upon  trial,  and  discontinued 


362  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

from  their  probation,  and  are  exceedingly  sorry 

to  add  that  some  of  their  cases  were  truly  humiliat 
ing  and  distressing ;  nevertheless  the  Lord  hath  in 
great  mercy  blessed  us  with  unusual  moderation  and 
peace,  through  the  whole  of  our  critical  decisions. 

"  Dear  brethren,  we  have  labored  and  suffered  with 
you  and  for  you,  and  are  willing  and  determined  so 
to  do.  We  have  confidence  that  you  will  endeavor 
to  walk  worthy  of  your  vocation,  and  unite  with  us  in 
all  laudable  endeavors  to  promote  the  Redeemer's 
kingdom.  Let  us  in  love  continue  to  watch  over  and 
pray  for  each  other,  keeping  the  unity  of  the  spirit 
and  the  bond  of  peace  until  we  are  come  to  the  full 
ness  of  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  Christ,  that  we 
may  finally  rest  with  him  forever." 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  camp-meetings  ever 
known  was  held  in  the  autumn  of  this  year  near 
the  town  of  Suffolk,  in  Virginia.  The  meeting 
commenced  on  Friday,  and  was  continued  with  but 
little  intermission  until  Monday  night.  From  the 
very  beginning  the  power  of  God  was  wonderfully 
manifested,  and  during  its  continuance  four  hundred 
persons  were  converted.  The  accounts  of  this  meet 
ing  which  appeared  at  the  time  would  seem  incredible 
had  they  not  been  vouched  for  by  those  who  were 
present.  Another  meeting  of  the  same  description 
was  held  about  ten  miles  from  Wilmington,  in  North 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  363 

Carolina.  The  revival  commenced  on  the  first  day 
of  the  meeting,  and  continued  with  increasing  interest 
and  power  until  Sabbath.  Persons  of  all  descriptions 
and  all  ages,  from  the  child  nine  years  of  age  to  the 
hoary-headed  sinner,  were  subjects.  The  revival  did 
not  close  with  the  meeting,  but  spread  abroad  among 
the  surrounding  settlements  until  three  hundred  were 
converted.  A  camp-meeting  was  also  held  at  a  place 
called  Hampton,  belonging  to  General  Ridgeley, 
about  ten  miles  from  Baltimore,  which  lasted  four 
days.  There  were  about  thirty  preachers  present,  and 
a  large  number  of  people  were  made  the  subjects  of 
converting  grace.  Meetings  of  the  same  description 
were  held  at  Linville's  Creek,  Rehoboth,  and  Big 
Levels  in  Virginia,  and  in  the  Mississippi  territory, 
some  of  which  lasted  more  than  a  week,  and  at  all 
of  which  numbers  were  converted. 

Near  Uniontown.  Pa.,  Asbury  was  confined  more 
than  a  month,  with  sickness,  and  was  obliged  to 
desist  from  going  to  Kentucky.  It  was  a  great  trial 
to  be  kept  so  long  from  his  loved  employment ;  but 
he  bore  it  with  patience.  After  his  recovery  he 
passed  slowly  through  Virginia,  accompanied  by 
Bishop  Whatcoat,  and  continued  the  journey  through 
North  and  South  Carolina.  The  Conference  was 
held  in  Charleston.  On  their  return  through  Vir 
ginia  they  preached  at  different  points.  While  at 
Joseph  Moody's,  Asbury  learned  of  quite  a  number  of 


364  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

members  who  had  left  the  O'Kelly  secession  and 
returned  to  the  Church.  Among  the  number  were 
General  Wells  and  family.  Speaking  of  O'Kelly,  the 
bishop  says :  "  He  has  come  down  with  great  zeal, 
and  preaches  three  hours  at  a  time  upon  government, 
monarchy,  and  episcopacy,  occasionally  varying  the 
subject  by  abuse  of  the  Methodists,  calling  them 
aristocrats  and  tories,  a  people  who,  if  they  had  the 
power,  would  force  the  government  at  the  sword's 
point.  Poor  man,  the  Methodists  have  but  two  of 
their  very  numerous  society  members  of  Congress, 
and  until  these  democratic  times  we  never  had  one. 
I  question  if  in  all  the  legislative  bodies  in  the  seven 
teen  states  there  are  more  than  twenty  Methodists. 
~No  ;  our  people  are  a  very  independent  people,  who 
think  for  themselves,  and  so  do  the  preachers,  and 
are  as  apt  to  differ  in  politics,  and  divide  at  the  hust 
ings  as  those  of  any  other  denomination,  and  surely 
they  are  not  seekers  of  the  offices  of  this  world's 
profit  or  honor ;  if  they  were,  what  might  they  not 
gain  in  many  parts  of  the  United  States  !  While  one 
rails  at  us,  others,  who  are  always  fond  of  fishing  in 
troubled  waters,  take  those  who  are  already  in  our 
net,  or,  hunting  on  forbidding  ground,  pick  up  our 
crippled  game." 

After  holding  Conference  in  Virginia  Asbury 
returned  in  the  spring  to  Baltimore,  where  Con 
ference  was  opened  on  the  first  of  April,  1805. 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  365 

From  hence  he  and  Whatcoat  started  eastward, 
preaching  at  different  places  in  Delaware,  New  Jer 
sey,  and  Pennsylvania  until  they  arrived  in  New 
York.  While  here  Asbury  attended  a  camp-meeting 
at  Musquito  Cove,  on  Long  Island,  and  preached  to 
a  vast  multitude  on  Sabbath.  The  meeting  was  at 
tended  with  a  gracious  outpouring  of  the  Spirit,  and 
many  were  converted.  On  Monday  evening  he  re 
turned  to  Brooklyn  and  preached.  He  and  What 
coat  preached  also  in  New  York,  and  then  started 
for  White  Plains,  where  they  held  services  on 
Sunday. 

About  this  time  there  was  a  considerable  discus 
sion  going  on  in  the  state  on  the  subject  of  the  regu 
lar  succession,  and  the  consequent  right  to  administer 
the  ordinances.  Asbury's  short  way  of  meeting  the 
objections  to  his  authority  was  presented  on  this  wise: 
1.  Divine  authority ;  2.  Seniority  in  America ;  3.  The 
election  of  the  General  Conference ;  4.  Ordination 
by  Dr.  Coke,  Rev.  W.  P.  Otterbein,  of  the  German 
Reformed  Church,  and  Revs.  Richard  Whatcoat  and 
Thomas  Vasey ;  5.  Showing  the  signs  of  an  apostle. 
He  might  have  rested  his  authority  in  the  first  con 
sideration,  namely,  his  Divine  call  to  the  ministry, 
for  it  is  not  to  be  presumed  that  God  will  call  any 
man  to  this  great  work  and  at  the  same  time  not 
invest  him  with  authority  to  administer  all  the  ordi 
nances  connected  therewith.  The  call  is  of  itself 


366  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

prima  facie  evidence  of  the  authority,  and  the  fact 
that  souls  are  converted  and  saved  through  his  instru 
mentality  is  proof  that  the  minister  is  an  ambassador 
for  God,  invested  with  plenipotentiary  power  to  tran 
sact  all  the  business  pertaining  to  the  Divine  vocation. 
From  White  Plains  they  crossed  the  Peekskill 
mountains,  and  after  spending  the  Sabbath  at  Rhine- 
beck,  they  passed  through  Claverack,  Kinderhook, 
Lansingburgh,  and  "Waterford,  on  to  Stillwater,  where 
a  camp-meeting  was  to  be  held.  At  this  meeting 
there  were  preachers  from  Canada,  Vermont,  Massa 
chusetts,  Connecticut,  New  York,  and  New  Jersey. 
The  meeting  lasted  four  days  and  was  very  largely 
attended.  From  the  carnp-meeting  the  bishops  pro 
ceeded  to  Ashgrove,  where  the  New  York  Confer 
ence  was  held.  Leaving  the  banks  of  the  Hudson 
they  crossed  the  Berkshire  mountains  by  Pittsfield, 
descended  the  valley  of  the  Connecticut,  and  pro 
ceeded  to  Lynn,  where  they  met  the  New  England 
Conference,  and  returned  by  Wilbraham,  Hartford, 
and  New  Haven  to  New  York.  They  were  not  per 
mitted,  however,  to  enter  the  city,  because  they  had 
passed  through  New  Haven,  where  the  yellow  fever 
was  prevailing.  On  arriving  at  Philadelphia  they 
were  for  the  same  reason  debarred  entrance  to  that 
city,  and  they  accordingly  directed  their  course  west 
ward  across  the  Alleghany  Mountains  to  Pittsburgh. 
From  thence  they  proceeded  down  the  Ohio  to 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  36*7 

Wheeling,  and  across  the  country,  by  Zanesville,  to 
Chillicothe,  where  they  enjoyed  the  hospitalities  of 
Hon.  Edward  Tiffin,  then  governor  of  the  State  of 
Ohio.  Leaving  Chillicothe  for  the  Falls  of  Paint 
Creek,  they  lost  their  path  and  wandered  about  in 
the  woods  until  they  brought  up  at  Bullskin,  where 
they  were  kindly  entertained  by  Michael  Haines, 
who  conducted  them  on  their  way.  From  this  point 
they  struck  for  the  Little  Miami  and  reached  the 
house  of  Judge  Gatch.  Here  they  held  meeting  on 
the  Sabbath.  While  here  a  messenger  came  from 
Cincinnati  inviting  the  bishops  to  visit  that  place, 
and  on  Monday,  the  15th  of  September,  1805,  As- 
bury  for  the  first  time  entered  what  has  since  become 
the  Queen  City  of  the  West.  He  preached  in  the 
house  of  Mr.  William  Lines  from  the  text,  "  Seek  ye 
the  Lord  while  he  may  be  found." 

Crossing  the  Ohio  at  Cincinnati  they  went  through 
Kentucky  to  the  Holstein,  and  from  thence  over  the 
mountains  through  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina, 
and  Georgia.  Asbury  was  accompanied  in  this  tour 
by  Joseph  Crawford,  who  did  most  of  the  preaching 
on  the  way.  Having  attended  the  Southern  Confer 
ences,  he  returned  and  held  Conference  in  Virginia, 
and  proceeded  on  to  Baltimore.  Among  other  busi 
ness  transacted  at  this  Conference  was  the  drawing 
up  of  a  reply  to  Dr.  Coke's  letter,  and  the  passage  of 
a  resolution  requesting  the  bishop  to  lay  it  before  all 


368  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

the  annual  Conferences  for  concurrence.  The  Con 
ference  also  by  resolution  recommended  all  the  An 
nual  Conferences  to  take  into  consideration  the  pro 
priety  of  having  the  General  Conference  composed 
of  delegates,  for  the  purpose  of  securing  a  more  equal 
representation  than  had  heretofore  been  had  by  the 
Southern,  Western,  and  Eastern  Conferences.  His 
next  Conference  was  Philadelphia,  which  he  at 
tended,  and  where  he  heard  of  the  dangerous  illness 
of  Bishop  Whatcoat  at  Dover.  From  hence  he  went 
to  New  York,  and  visited  the  ground  at  Philip's 
Manor  selected  for  a  camp-meeting.  He  rested  two 
days  at  "  Sherwood's  Yale,"  as  it  was  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  camp-ground.  The  meeting  began  on  Friday. 
On  Sabbath  he  preached,  and  had  what  he  called  "an 
open  season."  At  this  meeting  there  were  about  one 
thousand  Methodists  and  about  six  thousand  people. 
As  to  the  result,  about  two  hundred  were  converted. 
On  Friday,  the  16th  of  May,  1806,  Conference  was 
held  in  New  York.  At  this  Conference  a  paper  was 
read  setting  forth  the  uncertain  state  of  the  episco 
pacy,  and  proposing  the  election  of  seven  elders  from 
the  seven  Conferences  to  meet  in  Baltimore  on  July 
the  4th,  1807,  for  the  sole  purpose  of  establishing  the 
American  episcopacy  on  a  surer  foundation.  The 
Conference,  by  resolution,  requested  the  bishop  to 
pass  the  paper  around  among  the  Conferences  for 
concurrence.  During  this  Conference  preaching 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  369 

was  held  in  the  "  Park "  as  well  as  in  the  Methodist 
churches,  and  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  was  set 
apart  for  the  health  of  the  city. 

After  Conference  he  took  his  usual  Eastern  tour, 
holding  the  New  England  Conference  in  New  Hamp 
shire.  On  his  return  he  passed  through  New  Jersey, 
Maryland,  and  Virginia,  on  to  Tennessee,  where  the 
Western  Conference  was  held.  It  was  here  that  the 
poverty  of  the  preachers  was  such  as  to  induce  him 
to  part  with  his  watch,  and  coat,  and  shirt  to  relieve 
their  necessities.  Passing  through  North  and  South 
Carolina,  he  went  down  into  Georgia,  where  he  was 
lost  in  the  woods  and  camped  out  all  night.  He 
held  Conference  at  Sparta.  The  paper  in  relation  to 
the  delegated  General  Conference  was  adopted,  and 
the  delegates  to  the  elders'  meeting  in  Baltimore 
elected.  This  Conference  closed  up  the  labors  of  the 
year  1806,  and  with  it  the  fifth  decade  of  American 

Methodism. 

24 


370  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 


CHAPTEE  XIX. 

Mountains  of  Western  Virginia  —  Camp-meeting  Scenes  —  Asbury's  Visit 
—  Rev.  Henry  Boelim  —  Eeese  Wolf — Hockhocking — Preaching — 
Tour  through  Ohio  —  Pioneer  Settlers  —  Log  Cabins  —  Hospitable  but 
hard  Fare — Asbury's  Lecture  —  Interesting  Incident  —  Love-feast  — 
One  of  Asbury's  Converts  —  Virginia  Hospitality  —  Social  Gatheriag — 
Description  of  Guests  —  Subjects  of  Conversation. 

AMONG-  the  mountains  of  Western  Virginia  the 
pioneer  Methodist  preacher  had  formed  his  circuit, 
and  established  preaching  places  in  the  cabins  of  the 
settlers.  Camp-meetings  were  generally  held  in  the 
valley  of  the  Kanawha  during  the  summer  months, 
where  from  various  and  distant  parts  of  the  wilder 
ness  the  people  would  congregate  and  pitch  their 
tents.  Hundreds  and  thousands  would  collect 
together  upon  such  occasions,  and  the  native  forests 
would  be  made  vocal  with  the  praises  of  the  assem 
bled  throng.  Preachers  from  adjoining  circuits  and 
districts  would  attend  these  annual  feasts,  and,  with  a 
fervency  and  zeal  characteristic  of  pioneer  preachers, 
they  would  pour  forth  strains  of  burning  eloquence 
that  would  find  their  way  to  the  most  impenitent 
hearts ;  and  multitudes  to  whom  the  Gospel  would 
otherwise  perhaps  never  have  come,  were  made  the 
happy  subjects  of  converting  grace. 


FRANCIS    ASBURY. 

On  one  of  Bishop  Asbury's  "Western  tours  he  was 
invited  by  a  presiding  elder  to  accompany  him  to  one 
of  these  encampments.  He  was  now  in  the  sixty-fifth 
year  of  his  age,  and  though  worn  down  with  the 
fatigues  of  long  weary  rides,  and  incessant  labors, 
still  he  was  determined  to  toil  on,  unwilling  that  any 
part  of  his  vast  field  should  be  neglected.  The 
presiding  elder,  who  was  the  Rev.  James  Quinn,  of 
precious  memory,  thus  describes  this  visit: 

"  It  was  in  the  month  of  September,  in  the  West 
one  of  the  most  bland  and  beautiful  months  of  the 
year,  that  we  pitched  our  tents  in  a  beautiful  sugar- 
grove  on  the  lands  of  Richard  Lee,  two  miles  above 
Parkersburg,  on  the  banks  of  the  Kanawha.  It  was 
at  the  time  of  full  moon  and  at  night.  The  camp 
was  well  illuminated  with  pine  lights.  The  meeting 
commenced  under  the  most  auspicious  circumstances, 
and  from  the  beginning  to  the  close  we  had  evidences 
of  the  presence  and  approval  of  the  great  Head  of  the 
Church,  in  the  conviction  and  conversion  of  many 
souls,  and  the  upbuilding  of  believers  in  the  most 
holy  faith.  Having  retired  to  the  preachers'  tent  for 
some  relaxation  and  rest,  the  work  still  going  on  in 
the  camp,  about  ten  o'clock  a  person  came  to  the 
tent  and  informed  me  that  an  old  man  at  the  gate 
way  wished  to  see  me.  I  arose  and  went  forthwith, 
and  to  my  great  surprise  and  joy,  who  should  I  see 
in  the  clear  moonlight,  but  the  venerable  Asbury  and 


372  LIFE    AND    TIMES   OF 

his  traveling  companion  the  Rev.  Henry  Boehm. 
I  conducted  him  to  the  house  of  Richard  Lee,  and 
said  to  him,  Rest  and  be  happy  for  the  night.  You 
are  now  in  the  house  of  the  brother  of  your  old 
friend,  Rev.  "Wilson  Lee.  At  this  the  good  old  man 
appeared  to  be  pleased,  nor  were  Brother  and  Sister 
Lee  less  gratified  at  having  the  privilege  of  entertain 
ing,  if  not  unawares,  at  least  unexpectedly,  that  angel 
of  the  Church  below.  I  returned  to  the  encamp 
ment,  and  witnessed  a  glorious  night  of  the  presence 
and  power  of  the  Most  High.  The  bishop  had  a 
good  night's  rest,  which  he  said  was  the  first  he  had 
enjoyed  since  he  left  Wheeling,  and  he  came  on  the 
ground  quite  early  in  fine  spirits,  expressing  himself 
highly  pleased  with  the  arrangements  and  good  order 
which  he  saw  on  the  camp  ground.  He  preached 
twice  during  the  meeting  with  great  life,  light,  and 
power.  Surely  the  Lord  helped  him  and  great  good 
was  done.  He  also  ordained  a  preacher  who  had 
been  elected  by  the  Baltimore  Conference  to  the 
office  of  an  elder. 

"  Our  camp-meeting  closed  well  on  Monday  morn 
ing,  and  we  repaired  to  Brother  Reese  Wolf's,  the 
old  local  preacher  who  led  the  way,  and  invited 
Methodism  on  to  the  Little  Kanawha,  by  the  itiner 
ant  preachers,  in  1799.  Here  we  met  a  kind  recep 
tion,  and  rested  till  next  morning.  At  three  o'clock 
the  bishop  preached  a  plain  and  powerful  sermon  in 


FRANCIS    ASBTJRY.  373 

Parkersburgh,  which  was  a  small  place  then.  O 
what  awful  appeals  to  the  understanding  and  to  the 
heart !  There  was  no  daubing  with  untempered 
mortar. 

"  We  crossed  over  the  Ohio  into  Belpre,  and  were 
kindly  received  and  lodged  at  the  house  of  Esq.  B. 
The  lady  of  the  house  was  an  intelligent  old  lady, 
from  the  land  of  steady  habits,  who  had  heard  White- 
field  preach,  and  was  greatly  delighted  in  seeing  and 
conversing  with  the  Methodist  bishop.  But  O,  her 
regrets  on  account  of  the  great  privations  in  coming 
to  the  West:  'Yonder  we  had  such  fine  meeting 
houses,  comfortable  pews,  organs,  and  such  delightful 
singing;  and  then,  O  such  charming  preachers!  O 
bishop,  you  can't  tell!'  etc.  'Yes,  yes,'  said  the 
bishop,  '  old  Connecticut  for  all  the  world  : 

"A  fine  house  and  a  high  steeple, 
A  learned  priest  and  a  gay  people." 

But  where  shall  we  look  for  Gospel  simplicity  and 
purity  ?  Let  us  go  back  to  the  days  of  the  Pilgrim 
fathers.'  '  Well,  bishop,  who  are  you  going  to  send  to 
us  next  year  ?  I  hope  you  will  send  us  a  very  good 
preacher.'  ' Come,  send  you  a  good  preacher !' 
'Yes,  sir;  don't  you  send  them  just  where  you 
please?'  It  was  evident  that  the  bishop  was  disposed 
to  waive  the  subject,  upon  which  one  present  said, 
4  Madam,  I'll  tell  you  how  it  is ;  we  send  him  and  tell 


374  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

him  to  send  us,  and  then  he  must  come  and  see  us; 
for  he  must  travel  at  large,  and  oversee  the  whole 
work,  and  must  not  stop  without  our  leave.'  'In 
deed  !  Well,  now  I  guess  I  understand  it  better. 
Well,  well,  bishop,  where  do  you  live?' 

'  No  foot  of  land  do  I  possess, 

No  cottage  in  this  wilderness, 

A  poor  wayfaring  man.' 

At  this  the  old  lady  appeared  much  surprised,  and 
so  the  conversation  closed. 

"Next  morning  we  started  very  early,  and  called 
at  several  farm-houses  on  the  way  down  the  river, 
whose  inmates  were  not  Methodists,  and  the  good 
man  prayed  with  them  all.  Indeed,  I  have  seldom 
known  him  to  leave  a  family  without  prayer,  whether 
they  were  professors  or  not,  for  he  was  always  intent 
upon  doing  good.  At  three  o'clock  he  preached  in 
a  school-house  opposite  Blennerhasset's  Island ;  and 
truly  it  might  be  said  of  the  sermon,  as  I  once  heard 
him  say  of  Horneck's  Great  Law  of  Consideration, 
*  It  was  a  dagger  to  the  hilt  at  every  stroke.'  After 
preaching  we  were  kindly  invited  by  Col.  Putnam, 
son  of  Gen.  Putnam,  of  the  Re  volution,  to  the  house 
of  his  son,  Major  Putnam,  where  we  were  treated 
with  every  attention.  Some  six  or  eight  of  the  prin 
cipal  men,  with  their  ladies,  came  in  to  see  and  spend 
the  evening  with  the  Methodist  bishop.  Most  of 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  37  5 

these  were  Bevolutionary  men.  The  conversation  of 
the  evening  was  quite  of  an  interesting  character,  in 
which  the  bishop  took  a  lively  part.  But  ever  and 
anon  an  important  religious  sentiment  was  thrown  in, 
or  a  moral  application  made,  to  which  the  company 
bowed  silent  assent,  their  countenances,  in  the  mean 
time,  showing  that  the  weight  was  felt.  The  evening 
closed  with  devotional  services.  The  company  re 
tired,  and  we  were  conducted  to  our  lodgings;  and 
where  should  we  find  ourselves  but  in  the  splendid 
ball-room.  '  Here,'  said  the  bishop, ( they  were  wont 
to  worship  the  devil ;  but  let  us  worship  God.'  1 
was  informed  that  the  decree  was  passed  soon  after, 
that  no  more  balls  were  to  be  held  there.  Next 
morning  we  set  out  for  Athens.  As  we  were  crossing 
Little  Hockhocking,  I  said :  c  Here,  Mr.  Asbury,  in 
1800,  the  man  used  to  set  me  over  ferriage  free,  say 
ing  he  never  charged  ministers  or  babes ;  for  if  they 
do  no  good  they  do  no  harm.'  <  Ah,'  said  he, '  that  is 
not  true  of  ministers ;  for  the  minister  who  does  no 
good  does  much  harm.'  We  reached  Athens  on 
Friday  at  noon,  and  commenced  our  camp-meeting. 
It  went  on  well,  and  closed  well  on  the  fourth  da^, 
and  the  bishop  left  us  in  good  spirits  for  Chillicothe, 
having  preached  two  powerful  sermons.  In  making 
his  tour,  he  had  diverged  from  a  straight  road  at 
least  fifty  miles,  and  added  to  his  journey  more  than 
one  hundred  miles.  What  love  had  he  for  the 


376  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

souls   of  men,  as   the   purchase  of  the   Kedeemer's 
blood !" 

Another  interesting  reminiscence  is  given  by  the 
same  writer,  in  which  he  describes  a  tour  with  As- 
bury  through  Ohio.  The  sketch  thus  runs  :  "  I  once 
had  the  pleasure  of  accompanying  Bishop  Asbury 
ten  days  on  one  of  his  Western  tours  through  the 
then  infant  state  of  Ohio  in  the  days  of  log-cabins; 
and  they  were  not  such  unsightly  things,  if  coon  and 
wildcat-skins  were  hanging  round  the  walls,  and  deer 
horns  strewed  over  the  roof,  and  wild  turkeys'  wings 
sticking  about  in  the  cracks,  for  they  were,  with  few 
exceptions,  the  best  dwellings  in  the  land.  Well,  in 
many  of  these  we  met  a  smiling  welcome,  and  were 
most  hospitably  entertained,  and  the  good  bishop 
always  made  himself  pleasant  and  cheerful  with  the 
families,  so  that  they  soon  forgot  all  embarrassment, 
and  appeared  as  easy  in  their  feelings  as  if  they  had 
received  the  bishop  into  ceiled  and  carpeted  parlors, 
as  some  of  them  had  in  the  old  states.  Some  of  them 
were  very  neat  and  clean,  fitted  up  in  good  taste, 
which  showed  that  if  madam  could  not  play  on  the 
pianoforte  she  had  taken  lessons  from  Israel's  wise 
king,  and  knew  well  how  to  look  to  the  affairs  of  her 
house  if  it  was  a  cabin.  It  must  be  confessed,  how 
ever,  that  all  were  not  so ;  for  it  was  our  sad  lot  to 
fall  in  with  one  or  two  that  were  miserably  filthy  and 
fearfully  infested  with  vermin.  This  was  a  heavy  tax 


FRANCIS   ASBURY. 

on  the  feelings  of  the  poor  bishop,  for  he  had  as  fair, 
and  as  clear,  and  thin  a  skin  as  ever  came  from  En 
gland,  and  in  him  the  sense  of  smelling  and  tasting 
were  most  exquisite.  But,  dear  souls,  they  were  as 
kind  as  you  please,  and  the  bishop  did  not  hurt  their 
feelings,  but  prayed  for  them,  and  talked  good  to 
them.  Many  of  them  have  got  better  houses  since 
that  time,  have  made  good  improvements,  and  their 
daughters  have  come  out  quite  polished.  But  we 
got  to  quarterly  meeting,  for  he  was  passing  my  dis 
trict,  and  a  most  blessed  season  we  had :  sinners 
awakened,  souls  converted,  believers  quickened, 
backsliders  reclaimed.  O  the  Master  of  assemblies 
was  with  us  of  a  truth !  Quarterly  meeting  Confer 
ence  came  on.  '  Well,  Mr.  Asbury,  you  will  attend 
with  us  and  preside?'  'No,  son,'  was  the  reply;  'let 
every  man  stand  in  his  lot  and  do  his  part  of  the 
work ;  when  you  shall  have  got  through  your  busi 
ness  let  me  know  and  I  will  come  and  see  you.'  So 
we  went  to  business  pretty  expeditiously,  expecting 
an  address  from  the  bishop.  We  had  no  long,  tough 
speeches,  and  those  repeated,  but  went  through, 
brought  our  business  to  a  close  in  due  time,  and  sent 
a  messenger  to  inform  him  that  we  were  ready  to 
receive  him.  He  came,  took  the  chair,  and  after  a 
short  pause  commenced  taking  notice  of  the  infancy 
of  the  state,  the  infancy  of  the  Church,  the  toils  and 
privations,  the  trials  and  temptations,  peculiar  to 


378  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

such  a  state  of  things,  and  the  great  necessity  of 
watchfulness  and  prayer,  and  diligent  attendance  on 
the  means  of  grace,  both  public  and  private.  He 
spoke  of  his  own  toils,  cares,  and  anxieties  with  some 
emotion ;  of  the  great  and  glorious  extension  and 
spread  of  the  work  of  God  in  the  East  and  South, 
also  in  the  West  and  Southwest,  both  among  the 
Methodists  and  other  Christian  people.  He  spoke 
with  much  feeling.  '  But  the  Quarterly  Conference, 
the  importance  of  this  branch  of  our  ecclesiastical* 
economy,  "  to  hear  complaints^  to  receive  and  try  ap 
peals"  and  thus  guard  the  rights  and  privileges  of 
the  membership  against  injury  from  an  incorrect  ad 
ministration  ;  to  try,  and  even  expel,  preachers,  dea 
cons,  and  elders ;  to  examine,  license,  and  recommend 
to  office  in  the  local  department ;  to  recommend  for 
admission  into  the  traveling  connection  persons  as 
possessing  grace,  gifts,  and  usefulness  for  the  great 
and  important  work  of  the  Gospel  ministry ;  surely 
you  will  see  and  feel  the  highly  responsible  station 
which  you  fill  as  members  of  this  body.  We  send 
you  our  sons  in  the  Gospel  to  minister  to  you  the 
word  of  life  and  watch  over  your  souls  as  they  that 
must  give  account.  That  they  may  become  men, 
men  of  God  and  even  fathers  among  you,  help  them 
in  their  great  work ;  and  that  you  may  help  them 
understandingly,  read,  mark,  learn,  and  inwardly 
digest  your  excellent  Discipline.  It  is  plain,  simple, 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  379 

and  Scriptural.  It  is  true,  speculative  minds  may 
find  or  make  difficulties  where  there  are  none.  [I 
am  not  ashamed  to  confess  that  I  learned  something 
during  this  lecture  that  I  thought  well  worth  taking 
care  of.]  But  a  few  words  about  your  manner  of 
living  at  the  present.  You  are  now  in  your  log- 
cabins,  and  busily  engaged  in  clearing  out  your 
lands.  Well,  think  nothing  of  this.  I  have  been  a 
man  of  cabins  for  these  many  years,  and  I  have 
been  lodged  in  many  a  cabin  as  clean  and  sweet  as  a 
palace ;  and  I  have  slept  on  many  coarse,  hard  beds, 
which  have  been  as  clean  and  as  sweet  as  water  and 
soap  could  make  them,  and  not  a  flea  nor  a  bug  to 
annoy.  [Here  I  had  to  hang  my  head.  Dear  old 
gentleman,  he  had  not  forgotten  the  other  night 
when  he  got  no  sleep.]  Keep,'  said  the  bishop,  '  the 
whisky-bottle  out  of  your  cabins,  away  far  from  your 
premises.  Never  fail  in  the  offering  up  of  the  morn 
ing  and  evening  sacrifice  with  your  families.  Keep 
your  cabins  clean  for  your  healths'  sake  and  for  your 
souls'  sake,  [put  this  on  to  your  wives  and  daughters,] 
for  there  is  no  religion  in  dirt,  and  filth,  and  fleas. 
But,'  said  he,  '  of  this  no  more.  If  you  do  not  wish 
the  Lord  to  forsake  your  cabin,  do  not  forsake  his ; 
you  will  lose  nothing,  but  be  gainers,  even  in  tem 
poral  things,  by  going  and  taking  your  household 
with  you,  even  on  a  week  day ;  you  cannot  all  have 
Sabbath  preaching.  It  is  time  we  close  for  evening 


380  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

service.'  A  few  words  more  in  commending  us 
to  God  and  the  word  of  his  grace,  and  then  what 
a  prayer!  how  spiritual,  how  fervent,  how  fully 
adapted  to  the  state  of  the  country  and  the  Church 
as  they  then  were !  Truly,  it  might  be  said,  he  was 
mighty  in  prayer." 

On  one  of  Asbury's  excursions,  after  traveling 
hard  through  a  Western  wilderness  to  reach  a  quar 
terly  meeting  which  lay  on  his  route  to  a  distant 
Conference,  he  was  unusually  tempted  at  not  having 
seen,  for  some  time,  any  direct  fruit  of  his  per 
sonal  labor  in  the  conversion  of  souls.  He  felt  in 
clined  to  the  belief  that  his  mission  had  expired,  and 
he  had  better  retire  from  the  work.  With  this  de 
pression  of  spirit  he  entered  the  love-feast  on  Sab 
bath  morning,  in  a  rude  log  chapel  in  the  woods,  and 
took  his  seat,  unknown  to  any,  in  the  back  part  of 
the  congregation.  After  the  usual  preliminary  exer 
cises  had  been  gone  through  with  by  the  preacher, 
an  opportunity  was  given  for  the  relation  of  Chris 
tian  experience.  One  after  another  testified  of  the 
saving  grace  of  God,  and  occasionally  a  verse  of 
some  hymn  was  sung,  full  of  rich  and  touching 
melody.  The  tide  of  religious  feeling  was  rising  and 
swelling  in  all  hearts,  while  a  lady  rose  whose  plain 
but  exceedingly  neat  attire  indicated  that  she  was  a 
Methodist.  Her  voice  was  full  and  clear,  though 
slightly  tremulous.  She  had  traveled  many  miles  to 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  381 

the  meeting,  and  her  feelings  would  not  allow  her  to 
repress  her  testimony.  She  remarked  that  she  had 
not  long  been  a  follower  of  Christ.  "Two  years 
ago,"  said  she,  "  I  was  attracted  to  a  Methodist  meet 
ing  in  our  neighborhood  by  being  informed  that 
Bishop  Asbury  was  going  to  preach.  I  went,  and 
the  Spirit  sealed  the  truth  he  uttered  on  my  heart. 
I  fled  to  Jesus  and  found  redemption  in  his  blood, 
even  the  forgiveness  of  my  sins,  and  have  been 
happy  in  his  love  ever  since. 

"  '  Not  a  cloud  doth  arise  to  darken  my  skies, 
Or  hide  for  a  moment  my  Lord  from  my  eyes.'  " 

She  sat  down,  and  ere  the  responses  which  her 
remarks  had  awakened  in  all  parts  of  the  house  had 
died  away,  Bishop  Asbury  was  on  his  feet.  He  com 
menced  by  remarking  that  "  he  was  a  stranger  and 
pilgrim,  halting  on  his  way  for  rest  and  refreshment 
in  the  house  of  God,  and  that  he  had  found  both ; 
and,"  said  he,  with  uplifted  hands,  while  tears  of  joy 
coursed  each  other  freely  down  his  face,  "  if  I  can  only 
be  instrumental  in  the  conversion  of  one  soul  in  trav 
eling  round  the  continent,  I'll  travel  round  till  I  die." 

The  following  story  was  told  us  by  Father  Finley  : 
When  Asbury  was  spending  a  few  weeks  in  one  of  the 
cities  of  the  Union,  and  preaching  every  day,  he  was 
refreshed  in  spirit  by  witnessing  the  conversion  of  a 
number  of  souls.  Among  them  was  a  young  lady. 


382  *        LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

She  had  just  returned  from  a  fashionable  boarding- 
school,  having  finished  the  course  of  study,  and  hav 
ing  received  a  diploma  setting  forth  her  attainments 
and  accomplishments.  Special  attention  had  been 
bestowed  upon  her  musical  education.  She  had  a 
voice  of  great  power  and  melody,  and  her  perform 
ance  on  the  piano  exhibited  rare  attainments  in  the 
art.  Her  father  was  a  gentleman  of  wealth,  arid  took 
great  pride  in  his  daughter.  At  fashionable  parties 
she  was  a  star  of  general  attraction,  and  her  musical 
power,  as  well  as  prepossessing  appearance  and  man 
ners,  made  her  society  extremely  desirable. 

This  gifted  and  accomplished  young  lady  was  in 
duced  to  go  one  evening  to  hear  Asbury.  His  voice 
and  manner  riveted  her  attention,  and  ere  she  was 
aware,  as  the  man  of  God  presented  the  claims  of 
religion  upon  the  young,  her  heart  was  touched. 
She  yielded  to  the  persuasive  power  of  the  Gospel, 
and  in  penitence  sought  and  found  the  blessings  of 
religion.  Her  conversion  was  as  sudden  as  it  was 
unexpected  by  her  friends,  but  it  was,  nevertheless, 
clear  and  genuine.  No  place  to  her  was  now  so 
attractive  as  the  house  of  God,  and  thither  she 
wended  her  steps  from  evening  to  evening,  enjoying 
the  rapturous  bliss 

"  Of  a  soul  in  its  earliest  love." 

Of  course,  it  was  not  long  until  the  change  wrought 
upon  her  by  the  power  of  the  Gospel  was  known  to 


I 


FRANCIS    ASBTJEY.  383 

her  parents,  who,  strange  to  say,  felt  grieved  and 
indignant  at  the  result.  They  were  worldly  and 
thoughtless,  not  only  neglecting  the  claims  of  relig 
ion  themselves,  but  wholly  careless  in  regard  to  their 
children.  Their  only  object  was  to  fit  them  for  mov 
ing  in  fashionable  circles,  and  no  pains  or  expense 
were  spared  to  effect  it. 

To  win  her  back  to  the  world  was  now  the  design 
of  the  father.  He  was  too  much  of  a  gentleman,  and 
had  too  much  respect  for  himself  and  the  proprieties 
of  life,  to  resort  to  any  coercive  measures.  He  ac 
cordingly  brought  around  her  the  thoughtless  and 
the  gay  of  her  companions,  and  threw  her  as  often  as 
possible  into  their  society.  Naturally  amiable,  and 
loving  her  parents  with  all  the  devotion  of  an  affec 
tionate  child,  she  yielded  to  her  father's  requests  to 
visit  different  places  of  mirth  and  gayety ;  and  though 
she  did  not  put  on  the  morose  look  of  cloistered  piety, 
yet  she  was  serenely  quiet  and  affable  in  her  man 
ners,  preserving  the  true  dignity  of  the  Christian. 
She  had  a  heartfelt  joy  to  which  the  worldly  are 
strangers,  and  while  she  felt  sympathy  for  the  pur 
suers  of  shadows,  she  allowed  not  her  anxiety  for 
their  spiritual  welfare  to  destroy  their  brief  uncertain 
joy.  She  preferred  holding  up  the  light  of  a  Chris 
tian  example  in  a  calm,  quiet,  unobtrusive  manner, 
rather  than  to  resort  to  any  effort  to  convince  them 
of  the  error  of  their  way.  All  the  efforts  of  her  father 


384  LIFE    AiS'D    TIMES    OF 

were,  however,  of  no  avail  to  lure  her  from  the  pur 
pose  she  had  formed  to  lead  a  religious  life. 

As  a  last  resort  he  gave  a  large  party,  and  sent  out 
invitations  to  the  most  worldly  and  fashionable  of  the 
city.  The  evening  at  length  arrived  ;  the  company 
came  together ;  all  was  a  scene  of  gayety  and  mirth, 
for  the  pleasure-loving  throng  were  there.  In  the 
midst  of  this  scene  it  was  arranged  that  she  should  be 

O 

invited  to  sing  and  play  on  the  piano  one  of  those 
fashionable  airs  to  which  they  had  been  wont  to  listen 
with  so  much  interest  previous  to  her  conversion. 
She  made  no  objection  as  she  was  led  by  her  father 
to  the  piano.  Taking  her  seat,  she  commenced  in  a 
strain  the  most  touching,  because  it  came  from  her 
heart,  and  sang,  with  a  full  clear  voice,  that  beautiful 
hymn  of  Charles  Wesley : 

"  No  room  for  mirth  or  trifling  here, 
For  worldly  hope  or  worldly  fear, 

If  life  so  soon  is  gone ; 
If  now  the  Judge  is  at  the  door, 
And  all  mankind  must  stand  before 

The  inexorable  throne. 

"  No  matter  which  my  thoughts  employ 
A  moment's  misery  or  joy ; 

But  O !  when  both  shall  end, 
Where  shall  I  find  my  destined  place  V 
Shall  I  my  everlasting  days 
"With  fiends  or  angels  spend  ? 


FRANCIS    ASBUEY.  385 

"  Nothing  is  worth  a  thought  beneath 
But  how  I  may  escape  the  death 

That  never,  never  dies ; 
How  make  mine  own  election  sure, 
And  when  I  fail  on  earth  secure 

A  mansion  in  the  skies." 

She  had  not  sung  through  one  verse  before  her 
father,  who  stood  by  her  side,  was  seen  to  drop  his 
head.  Every  whisper  ceased,  and  the  most  intense 
feeling  was  evidently  pervading  the  entire  company. 
Every  word  was  distinctly  heard,  and  each  seemed 
an  arrow  from  the  Spirit's  quiver  going  directly  to 
the  hearts  of  the  hearers.  When  she  ceased  her 
father  was  gone.  His  feelings  were  too  great  to  be 
suppressed,  and  he  sought  another  room,  where  he 
gave  vent  to  his  tears.  Mary  had  conquered,  and 
from  that  hour  she  was  free  from  the  allurements  of 
the  world.  For  many  years  she  lived  to  adorn  her 
profession,  and  then  went  up  to  join  the  song  of  the 
redeemed  in  heaven. 

In  the  summer  of  1802  Asbury  spent  a  few  days 
in  the  vicinity  of  Stevensburg,  Virginia,  at  the  house 
of  his  warm-hearted  brother,  Rev.  Elisha  Phelps, 
where  he  received  his  friends.  The  Rev.  James 
Quinn  thus  describes  the  interview  :  "A  most  inter 
esting  company  convened  at  this  lovely  country  resi 
dence,  where  true  Virginia  hospitality,  in  old  style, 
stood  ready  to  receive  them  with  smiling  welcome. 

25 


386  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

As  soon  as  the  company  were  seated  in  the  not  splen 
did  but  neatly  arranged  parlor,  in  order  that  all 
things  might  be  sanctified  by  the  word  of  God  and 
prayer,  the  bishop,  in  his  usually  laconic  and  com 
prehensive  style,  addressed  the  throne  of  grace. 
Although  the  prayer  was  short,  it  seemed  to  take  in 
all  for  which  man  or  minister  should  pray.  O  how 
much  unprofitable,  not  to  say  vain,  repetition  do  we 
sometimes  hear  in  the  long  prayers  of  some  well-dis 
posed  persons  !  Not  so  prayed  Asbury.  The  prayer 
concluded,  the  company  resumed  their  seats;  and  what 
then  ?  Light  chit-chat,  mixed  with  peals  of  laughter, 
in  which  all  persons  talk  and  no  one  hears?  No,  no; 
it  was  '  the  feast  of  reason  and  the  flow  of  soul.'  In 
a  free  flow  of  conversation  on  a  variety  of  interesting 
topics,  chiefly  of  a  moral  and  religious  character.  The 
state  of  the  Old  World,  in  religion  and  politics,  occu 
pied  part  of  the  time.  The  revolutions  in  Europe,  the 
shaking  of  thrones,  the  fulfillment  of  prophecy,  the 
overthrow  of  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet;  New 
ton,  Faber,  Bengelius,  and  Wesley,  on  the  fulfillment 
of  prophecy;  infidelity  in  Europe  and  America;  the 
spread  of  the  Gospel,  the  rolling  of  the  stone  cut  out 
of  the  mountains,  the  glorious  1836,  which,  accord 
ing  to  some,  was  to  usher  in  the  glories  of  the  Millen 
nium  ;  these,  together  with  the  state  affairs  in  our  own 
America,  God  maintaining  his  own  cause,  making 
bare  his  arm,  pouring  out  his  Spirit  gloriously  on 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  387 

different  branches  of  his  Church,  etc.,  entered  largely 
into  the   social  entertainments  of  that  pleasant  day. 
"And  now,  if  I  could,  I  would  most  cheerfully  give 
the  reader  a  minute  description  of  that  social  band. 
I  fear  a  failure,  but  will  try.     Well,  then,  here  were 
our  host,  Rev.  E.  Phelps,  and  hostess.     He  had  been 
a    traveling  preacher    of   respectable    talents.     His 
heart  was  still  warm  in  the  cause,   though  he  had 
retired  from  the  work.     His  open,  good-natured  coun 
tenance  told  his  guests  that  they  were  welcome,  and 
that  was  enough.     His  deeply-pious  lady,  somewhat 
in  advance  of  him  in  years,  was  of  the  olden  style, 
a  sensible,  well-informed  woman,  without  the  tinsel 
and  frippery  of  modern  etiquette.     She  was  a  daugh 
ter  of  Colonel   Hyte,  of  Revolutionary  fame.     Her 
orderly  movements  and  countenance  beaming  with 
good-nature,    said    to   her    friends,    Feel    yourselves 
welcome. 

"  Then  here  was  Mr.  Asbury,  in  better  health  than 
usualj  and  in  fine  spirits;  I  never  saw  him  in  a 
more  cheerful  and  pleasant  mood  ;  for  the  Lord  was 
then  gloriously  pouring  out  his  Spirit  in  many  places, 
and  many  souls  were  coming  home  to  God  ;  and  this 
always  cheered  the  heart  of  the  good  man. 

"That  tall,  swarthy  southerner,  of  ministerial  garb 
and  mien,  who  was  that?  That  was  Rev.  Philip 
Bruce,  a  bachelor.  He  brought  good  news  from  the 
south  of  Virginia.  His  district  was  all  in  a  flame. 


388  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

"  Well,  that  somewhat  robust,  fine-looking  gentle 
man,  with  black  band,  in  Virginia  cotton  homespun, 
and  that  sickly-looking  lady  near  him,  who  are  they  ? 
That  was  Rev.  Samuel  Mitchell,  of  Bottetourt,  Ya. 
He  was  a  whole-souled  Virginian,  who  by  word  and 
deed  carried  out  the  first  principles  of  the  doctrine 
contained  in  the  Declaration  of  American  Independ 
ence.  His  heart  was  all  on  fire.  The  news  of  the 
great  work  of  God  in  West  Tennessee  and  Kentucky 
had  just  come  to  hand  by  private  letters.  In  his 
amiable  lady  we  saw  and  admired  the  power  and 
loveliness  of  blessed  Christianity,  fortifying  the  mind 
and  cheering  the  heart,  while  sweet  resignation  sat 
smiling  at  the  approach  of  death.  A  few  months 
more  and  she  slept  in  Jesus,  and  all  was  well. 

"  But  there  is  still  another  interesting  figure,  some 
what  robust  but  not  corpulent,  a  fine  manly  face,  and 
smiling  countenance.  Well,  that  was  Dr.  J.  Tildon, 
a  local  preacher.  He  had  been  a  captain  in  the  Rev 
olution,  held  a  certificate  of  membership  in  the  CIN 
CINNATI,  with  Washington's  signature  as  president  of 
the  society.  He  was  interesting  in  conversation. 

"  That  aged  lady  in  black  ?  That  was  Dr.  Tildon's 
mother.  She  had  lived  more  than  seventy  years. 
She  was  waiting  her  change  and  ripening  for  heaven . 

"And  that  interesting  lady,  whose  head  and  hair 
were  naturally  white  as  pure  wool,  and  an  eye  beam 
ing  with  intelligence?  That  was  the  doctor's 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  389 

lady  ;  she  knew  when  to  speak  and  when  to  keep 
silent. 

"  Here,  also,  was  Dr.  William  M'Dowell,  late  of 
Chillicothe,  at  that  time  in  the  prime  of  life,  a  man  of 
most  dignified  appearance  :  his  raven  locks,  hanging 
in  ringlets,  were  beginning  to  be  sprinkled  with  gray, 
and  the  fine  Irish  bloom  was  yet  glowing  on  his 
cheek.  He  had  been  a  successful  traveling  preacher, 
but  had  retired  from  the  field  of  toil  and  pfivation. 
This  was  often  a  subject  of  regret  to  him.  His 
amiable  wife  was  also  present,  all  vivacity  of  body 
and  mind  :  she  had  a  smiling,  talking  eye,  and  when 
she  spoke  it  was  with  wisdom,  and  what  she  said  was 
worth  attention  and  memory. 

"  And  this  ruddy  Englishman,  who  looked  as  if  he 
was  always  in  a  good  humor  with  himself  and  every 
body  else  ;  often  laughed  heartily,  but  not  at  his  own 
wit  ?  That  was  Brother  Mason,  the  watchmaker,  quite 
gentlemanly  in  his  manners.  And  that  meek,  neat 
lady,  of  Quaker  appearance  ?  That  was  Sister  Mason. 
In  her  we  saw  a  pattern  of  neatness  and  piety. 

"  Here,  too,  was  the  pious  widow  of  the  Kev.  B. 
Talbot.  While  her  countenance  well  expressed  the 
meekness  and  sweetness  of  resignation,  it  seemed  to 
say,  'Pity  me,  pity  me,  O  ye  my  friends;  for  the 
hand  of  the  Lord  hath  touched  me.'  Sympathies 
were  well  expressed  in  those  kind  and  gentle  atten 
tions  which  are  calculated  to  soothe  and  cheer  the 


390  LIFE  AND    TIMES    OF 

bereaved  heart,  and  no  gloom  was  cast  over  the 
company. 

"  And  now  I  must  make  you  acquainted  with  my 
colleague,  the  Kev.  Edward  Matthews,  a  Welshman, 
and  not  long  from  his  native  land,  with  the  fire,  man 
ners,  and  dialect  of  his  country,  a  pleasant  and  com 
panionable  man,  and  zealous  in  the  cause  of  God. 
He  was  modest  and  reserved,  but  Mr.  Asbury  and  the 
Yirgintans  led  him  out  and  made  him  feel  at  home. 

"  But  it  is  proper  that  I  should  notice  one  other 
circumstance,  which  added  much  to  the  religious 
sociabilities  of  the  day :  it  was  music,  sweet,  spirit- 
stirring  music.  It  charmed  the  ear  and  warmed  the 
heart.  We  had  six  or  eight  intellectual  musical 
instruments  in  our  company,  which  the  Lord  himself 
had  strung  and  tuned.  The  Methodists  used  only 
such  in  that  day.  With  these  we  occasionally  made 
melody  in  our  hearts  to  the  Lord.  In  this  exercise 
Dr.  M'Dowell  took  the  lead,  for  he  had  the  best 
instrument  in  the  company,  and  could  use  it  with  skill. 
He  sounded  the  key-note,  all  the  rest  chiming.  O  it 
was  heart-warming,  soul-animating ! 

"  The  writer  of  this  reminiscence  was  also  one  of  the 
company.  But  he  was  the  junior  of  all  present; 
at  that  time  a  student  of  the  fourth  year  in  the  Meth 
odist  Theological  Seminary,  which  had  its  establish 
ment  in  all  the  United  States,  and  a  few  branches  in 
the  western  wilds,  and  a  backwoodsman  withal;  it 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  391 

behooved  him,  therefore,  to  be  swift  to  hear  and  slow 
to  speak.  But  being  now  in  '  good  company,'  lie 
resolved  to  take  a  lesson  or  two  on  good  behavior 
and  -Christian  politeness,  and  also  gather  a  few  good 
thoughts  on  divinity ;  for  in  those  days  he  was  all  eye 
and  ear,  and  constantly  on  the  look-out ;  he  was 
studying  men  as  well  as  a  few  good  books.  In  due 
time  we  were  summoned  to  the  dining-room.  Upon 
approaching  the  table,  the  bishop  tuned  his  musical 
powers,  a  deep-toned,  yet  mellow  bass,  to 

'  Be  present  at  our  table,  Lord, 
Be  here  and  everywhere  adored  ; 
Thy  people  bless,  and  grant  that  we 
May  feast  in  paradise  with  thee.' 

The  blessing  asked,  and  all  were  seated — old  Virginia 
for  all  the  world ;  and  for  once  we  partook  of  food, 
ate  our  bread  with  singleness  of  heart ;  the  decanters 
with  wine  or  stronger  drink  were  neither  on  the  table 
nor  sideboard  ;  but  we  had  a  fresh  supply  of  new  wine 
just  from  the  kingdom.  From  the  dining-room  we 
returned  to  the  parlor,  and  again  united  our  musical 
powers  in  one  of  the  songs  of  Zion,  then  bowed 
before  the  sprinkled  throne,  and  found  access  by  one 
Spirit,  through  the  one  and  only  Mediator,  to  the  God 
of  all  consolation.  The  afternoon  passed  pleasantly 
and  profitably  away  on  subjects  of  conversation.  We 
had  just  entered  the  nineteenth  century.  Here  were 
those  who  had  lived  and  witnessed  many  of  the 


392  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

scenes  of  more  than  half  of  the  eighteenth  century; 
the  prophecies  which  (in  whole  or  in  part)  in  the  Old 
and  New  World,  had  been  fulfilled,  and  what  would 
probably  take  place  in  the  fulfillment  of  prophecy 
during  the  century  on  which  wTe  had  just  entered. 
Glorious  things  were  anticipated,  and  we  were  ready 
to  think  that  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  would 
both  be  overthrown,  and  Satan  bound  and  imprisoned. 
Well  almost  half  of  that  century  has  passed  away, 
and  these  things  have  not  yet  taken  place  ;  but  the 
Lord  hath  said  that  he  would  make  short  work  in 
the  earth; 

'And  what  his  mouth  in  truth  hath  said, 
His  own  almighty  hand  shall  do.' 

But  the  day  was  now  far  spent,  the  shadows  of  even 
ing  were  lengthening  out,  and  the  time  for  parting 
came,  when  all  met  in  the  parlor,  and  tuned  our 
well-strung  instruments  in  lofty  strains  to 

'  The  Lord  into  his  garden  comes, 
The  spices  yield  a  rich  perfume, 
The  lilies  grow  and  thrive,'  etc. 

and  then  the  parting  prayer  and  benediction  by  Mr. 
Asbury.  O,  it  was  a  season  not  soon  to  be  forgotten, 
it  savored  of  heaven  ! 


FKANCIS   ASBTJKY.  39  ft 


CHAPTEE  XX. 

Asbury  in  the  far  South  —  Conference  at  Newbern,  North  Carolina  — 
Baltimore  Conference  —  Virginia  —  Delaware  —  Philadelphia  —  Green 
Mountains,  Vermont  —  Conference  in  Boston  —  Lakes  —  Moravians  at 
Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania  —  First  Conference  northwest  of  the  Ohio  — 
Indian  Invasion  —  Shakers  at  Lebanon,  Ohio  —  Philip  Gatch's  —  Cin 
cinnati —  Camp-meeting  —  Additions  to  the  Hymn  Book  —  Charleston 
—  Western  Conference  —  Conference  at  Alexandria— Perry  Hall  in 
Mourning  — General  Conference  in  Baltimore  —  New  Church  in  Eutaw 
street  dedicated  —  Portrait  of  Asbury  taken  by  Order  of  the  General 
Conference  —  Whatcoat  —  Coke's  Proposal  to  divide  the  Continent  into 
Two  separate  Dioceses  —  Bishop  White  Affair  —  M'Kendree  elected 
Bishop  —  Western  Pioneer  —  Memorial  of  New  York  Conference  —  Re 
strictive  Eules  —  Subject  of  Slavery  —  Proposal  to  strike  the  Section 
from  the  Discipline  —  First  Two  Paragraphs  retained  —  Asbury's  Mo 
tion— Asbury  and  Boehm  —  Western  Travels  —  Indiana  —  Regulation 
on  Slavery — Crosses  the  Wilderness  —  Asbury  and  M'Kendree  in  a 
Thirty  Dollar  Chaise  — Rembert's  Chapel  —  Virginia  Conference  — 
Attempt  to  prejudice  Slaveholders  against  the  Methodists  — New  York 
and  New  England  Presbyterians  —  Cincinnati  —  Camp-meeting  —  "  Old 
Stone  "  —  Conference  —  Baltimore  Hospitality  —  Pittsfield  —  "  Perpet 
ual  Hills  "  —  Boston  —  South  called  on  to  assist  Boston  Methodists  — 
Lee's  History  —  Comments — Review  —  Life  in  the  Mountains  —  Awful 
Wilderness  —  Discipline  translated  into  German— West  — Governor 
Worthington  —  Virginia — Great  Fire  in  New  York  —  Genesee  Confer 
ence —  Wise  Men  of  New  York  Conference  —  Mad  River  —  Dayton, 
Ohio  —  South  Carolina. 

THE  opening  of  the  sixth  decade  of  American 
Methodism  found  the  toil-worn  Asbury  in  the  fur 
South.  His  New  Years'  dinner  was  taken  in  the 
woods  on  his  route  to  Columbia,  South  Carolina. 
He  was  redeeming  time  by  riding  three  hundred 
miles  a  week,  and  preaching  on  the  route.  At 


394  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

Newborn,  North  Carolina,  he  held  Conference, 
preaching  several  times  during  the  session.  From 
hence  he  passed  on  through  Virginia  to  Baltimore, 
where  he  preached  on  the  Sabbath,  and  opened  the 
Conference  on  Monday.  Upward  of  a  hundred 
preachers  were  present ;  the  increase  in  the  member 
ship  within  the  bounds  of  the  Conference  was  nearly 
three  thousand.  As  was  his  custom  he  went  to  Perry 
Hall,  where  he  had  a  delightful  interview  with  his 
old  friends  and  traveling  companions  of  three  thou 
sand  miles,  Hollingsworth  and  Ilitt.  After  visiting 
points  in  Virginia  and  Delaware,  he  proceeded  to  the 
Conference  at  Philadelphia.  From  hence  he  passed 
through  New  Jersey  and  on  to  Vermont.  When  he 
came  to  the  Green  Mountains,  he  says:  "We  boldly 
engaged  the  Green  Mountains  of  which  we  have 
heard  awful  accounts.  I  match  it  with  rude  Clinch 
or  rough  Alleghany.  When  we  reached  the  Nar 
rows,  Daniel  Hitt  led  the  horses;  he  preferred  my 
leading  them,  so  on  we  went ;  but  I  was  weak,  and 
not  attentive,  perhaps,  and  the  horse  ran  me  upon  a 
rock,  up  went  the  wheel,  hanging  balanced  over  a 
precipice  fifty  feet  deep,  with  rocks,  trees,  and  the 
river  between  us.  Never  in  my  life  have  I  been  in 
such  apparent  danger,  but  the  Lord  saves  man  and 
beast."  Crossing  after  this  the  New  Hampshire 
mountains,  he  entered  the  state  of  Massachusetts,  and 
held  Conference  in  Boston.  The  New  England  Con- 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  395 

ference  had  then  ninety-two  preachers  on  the  list. 
After  Conference  he  went  to  Lynn,  where  he 
preached  on  Sunday  and  Monday.  His  route  from 
this  place  was  through  Wilbraham,  Springfield,  and 
across  the  mountains  to  Pittsfield,  from  thence  to 
Schenectady,  and  along  the  banks  of  the  Mohawk. 
Here  he  was  so  lame  as  to  be  obliged  to  go  upon 
crutches,  but  he  nevertheless  continued  to  preach. 
He  went  from  hence  to  Cazenovia,  Onondaga.  Ska- 
neatelas  Lake,  Owasco  Lake,  Cayuga  Lake,  Seneca 
Lake,  and  Lyonstown,  and  thus  from  point  to  point 
until  he  reached  Genesee  and  Tioga,  and  thence  on 
through  Pennsylvania  until  he  reached  Bethlehem,  a 
place  he  had  long  desired  to  see. 

In  describing  this  place,  he  says:  "We  found  our 
selves  at  the  grand  tavern  at  the  north  end,  the 
property  of  the  '  Moravian  Brethren.'  The  house  is 
large,  but  a  plain  building,  the  entertainment  good 
at  a  dollar  a  night  for  man  and  horse.  On  the  second 
bench  of  the  high  grounds  on  the  main  street,  which 
begins  on  the  hill  above,  stand  the  church  buildings. 
On  the  east  and  west  are  rooms  appropriate  to  the 
institution,  and  certainly  the  west  end  has  a  grand 
appearance.  On  the  same  street  below  stands  the 
c  Brethren's '  house,  one  hundred  feet  front,  five  stories 
high,  very  plain,  and  much  German  taste  discover 
able  everywhere ;  add  to  this  the  majestic  Lehigh, 
and  you  have  the  most  striking  features  of  this  cele- 


396  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

brated  place.  I  asked  the  young  man  who  managed 
the  tavern  if  they  ever  permitted  any  minister  to 
preach  among  the  i  Brethren.'  He  could  not  answer ; 
he  was  a  servant  and  knew  not  how  to  answer.  Next 
day  came  the  master  of  ceremonies,  the  cicerone  of 
the  establishment,  who  shows  the  wonders  of  the 
place.  I  asked  him,  but  was  informed  that  the  min 
ister  must  perform  himselbst.  Daniel  Hitt  and  two 
gentlemen  from  York,  who  had  given  money  for  the 
sights  shown  here  for  money,  went  to  the  Church- 
meeting.  And  what  did  they  see  and  hear?  A  man 
read  in  German  they  knew  not  what,  and  sung  and 
played  upon  the  four  thousand  dollar  organ,  but  ser 
mon  or  prayer  they  heard  not.  I  doubt  much  if  there 
is  any  prayer  here,  public  or  private,  except  the  stated 
prayer  of  the  minister  on  the  Sabbath  day.  The 
4  Brethren '  have  a  school  for  boys  at  Nazareth,  and 
one  for  girls  at  Bethlehem,  and  they  have  a  store  and 
a  tavern.  The  society  have  worldly  wealth  and 
worldly  wisdom,  and  it  is  no  wonder  that  men  of  the 
world,  who  would  not  have  their  children  spoiled  by 
religion,  send  them  to  so  decent  a  place." 

From  this  place  he  directed  his  course  to  Lancas 
ter,  and  without  visiting  Philadelphia  he  proceeded 
across  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  and  through  Ohio 
to  the  far-off  Scioto,  where  the  first  Conference  north 
west  of  the  Ohio  was  held  in  Chillicothe.  Sixty-six 
preachers  had  assembled  from  the  different  and  dis- 


FEANCIS    ASBURY.  397 

tant  parts  of  the  far  West  and  South.  Among  them 
were  many  hardy  pioneers,  who  had  blazed  their 
way  through  the  wilderness,  men  of  giant  hearts  and 
stalwart  frames,  who  had  braved  a  thousand  dangers, 
and  who  were  ready  for  any  hardship  and  toil  the 
Church  might  demand.  The  most  of  them  have 
passed  away,  and  the  few  that  remain  stand  here  and 
there  like  the  solitary  oak  to  tell  of  the  glory  of  the 
primeval  forest  in  which  they  stood. 

During  the  session  of  the  Conference  Asbury  vis 
ited  the  Deer  Creek  camp-ground,  and  preached  a 
powerful  discourse  from  the  text,  "  We  then,  as  work 
ers  together  with  him,  beseech  you  also  that  ye  re 
ceive  not  the  grace  of  God  in  vain."  2  Cor.  vi,  1. 
An  immense  concourse  of  people  were  collected  from 
all  parts  of  the  country.  Whole  Methodist  families 
came  from  the  distance  of  forty  and  fifty  miles,  and 
some  even  further.  They  came  in  covered  wagons, 
bringing  their  provisions  with  them.  They  did  not, 
like  many  of  the  Methodists  of  the  present  day,  take 
the  cars  in  the  morning  and,  whirled  along  at  the 
rate  of  thirty  miles  an  hour,  reach  the  encampment 
in  time  to  hear  the  eleven  o'clock  sermon,  take  din 
ner  at  a  boarding  tent,  and  return  in  the  evening, 
wondering  that  they  had  received  no  spiritual  bene 
fit.  Had  they  done  so,  camp-meetings  would  not 
have  been  attended  with  the  power  that  character 
ized  them.  But  they  closed  up  business  at  home, 


398  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

and  made  all  their  arrangements  to  spend  a  week 
at  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  devoting  themselves  ex 
clusively  to  the  worship  of  God,  and  the  result  was 
invariably  an  increase  in  spirituality  in  the  hearts  of 
the  members,  and  the  conversion  of  their  children. 
The  great  wonder  is  not  now  that  so  few  are  con 
verted  at  our  modern  camp-meetings,  but  that  any 
are  converted.  This,  however,  is  to  be  attributed  to 
the  fact  that  there  are  some  who  act  upon  the  prim 
itive  plan  of  going  prepared,  and  determined  to  re 
main  during  the  continuance  of  the  meeting. 

After  the  business  of  the  Conference  was  closed, 
during  which  they  received  an  addition  of  thirteen 
preachers  to  the  ranks  of  the  itinerancy,  and  elected 
seven  delegates  to  attend  the  General  Conference, 
Asbury  set  out  for  what  he  called  the  frontier  settle 
ments  on  the  Great  Miami.  A  great  alarm  about 
this  time  was  spread  through  the  country  on  account 
of  a  threatened  invasion  of  the  Indians.  A  council, 
however,  was  held,  at  which  Governor  Worthington 
and  General  M' Arthur  met  the  chiefs,  and  all  hostile 
demonstrations  were  quieted.  On  his  way  he  stopped 
at  Lebanon,  where  he  heard  much  about  the  Shakers. 
At  Union  Village,  about  three  miles  west  of  Leb 
anon,  the  Shakers  commenced  their  operations,  and 
at  this  day  it  is,  perhaps,  the  strongest  hold  of 
Shakerdom  in  the  West.  The  society  owns  a  large 
tract  of  fine  land  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  399 

and  have  several  family  houses  within  a  distance  of 
three  or  four  miles  of  each  other.  As  there  are  dif 
ferent  grades  it  is  necessary  to  keep  them  separate. 
On  the  Little  Miami  he  preached  at  Philip  Gatch's, 
and  from  thence  proceeded  to  Cincinnati,  where  he 
stopped  with  Mr.  Farris,  in  company  with  Solomon 
and  Oliver  Langdon.  While  here  he  thus  expressed 
himself:  "I  am  young  again,  and  boast  of  being 
able  to  ride  six  thousand  miles  on  horseback  in  ten 
months.  My  round  will  embrace  the  United  States, 
the  Territory,  and  Canada,  but  O  !  childhood,  youth, 
and  old  age,  ye  are  all  vanity."  He  alludes  to  the 
erection  of  the  stone  church  where  Wesley  Chapel 
now  stands,  and  thought  it  a  very  neat  and  comfort 
able  house  of  worship,  though  the  crowd  to  hear  him 
was  so  great  that  they  could  not  find  seats  for  their 
accommodation. 

From  Cincinnati  he  went  to  the  camp-meeting  at 
Mount  Gerizim,  Kentucky,  where  there  was  a  large 
collection  of  people,  and  \vhere  he  remained  several 
days  preaching.  Quite  a  number  were  converted 
during  the  progress  of  the  meeting. 

While  on  this  tour  he  employed  a  part  of  his 
leisure  time  "  in  seeking  appropriate  portions  of 
Scripture  for  the  new  hymns  designed  to  enlarge 
the  common  hymn  book." 

Pursuing  his  course  through  Tennessee,  North  Caro 
lina,  and  Georgia,  on  Christmas  day  he  reached 


400  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

Charleston,  South  Carolina,  where  the  next  Confer 
ence  was  to  be  held.  On  Sabbath  he  preached  at  the 
old  church  and  at  Bethel,  when  he  took  occasion  to 
notice  the  life  and  labors  of  Kendrick  and  Dough 
erty.  January  1,  1808,  the  Conference  began.  They 
sat  six  hours  a  day,  and  everything  progressed  with 
peace  and  harmony.  The  increase  within  the  bounds 
of  this  Conference  and  the  Western  Conference  was 
three  thousand  seven  hundred.  At  the  close  he 
passed  through  North  Carolina  and  Virginia  to 
Alexandria,  where  a  Conference  was  to  be  held,  and 
thence  on  to  Baltimore. 

A  letter  from  the  Rev.  Asa  Kent  communicates 
the  following  incident,  connected  with  the  travels  of 
the  bishop  at  this  time  : 

"He  was  traveling  through,  I  think,  the  country 
parts  of  North  Carolina  into  Virginia,  and  put  up 
with  a  brother  who  kept  a  house  of  entertainment 
for  travelers.  They  had  just  risen  from  tea  as  a 
neighbor  called  at  the  door,  and  said  a  duel  had  just 
been  fought  but  a  few  miles  distant,  and  one  of  the 
parties  had  received  a  ball  in  his  leg. 

"Soon  a  carriage  drove  up  to  the  door,  and  some 
half-dozen  spruce  young  men  alighted  and  wished 
for  supper  as  soon  as  convenient.  Their  business 
was  at  once  understood,  and  their  host  brought  them 
into  the  room  and  introduced  them  to  the  bishop, 
and  they  were  seated  till  the  table  should  be  laid. 


FKANCIS    ASBURY.  401 

He  began  a  free  conversation  with  them,  and  found 
they  were  young  gentlemen  of  refined  manners  and 
education,  and  he  wanted  some  method  by  which  he 
could  approach  them  so  as  to  do  them  good. 

"  Supper  was  announced,  and  they  invited  the 
bishop  to  eat  with  them ;  but  he  excused  himself, 
having  just  left  the  table;  still  they  desired  it,  and 
he  went  with  them.  He  supposed  that  he  had  desig 
nated  the  principal,  second,  and  surgeon ;  but  they 
did  not  seem  to  have  an  idea  that  their  business  was 
known.  He  implored  the  blessing  of  God  upon  their 
souls,  bodies,  food,  etc.  Pie  took  a  cup  of  tea,  a  bev 
erage  not  often  slighted  by  him,  and  excused  himself 
from  eating,  and  proposed  telling  them  some  of  his 
reflections  for  the  day.  I  am  sorry  that  I  cannot 
give  the  exact  words  of  the  bishop ;  the  matter  is 
familiar,  and  I  think  the  substance  is  found  in  what 
follows : 

"'In  passing  over  these  hills  and  through  these 
valleys  to-day,  I  have  been  led  to  reflect  upon  the 
mighty  changes  which  have  taken  place  since  I  first 
passed  through  this  section  of  country  years  ago. 
Then  the  settlements  were,  "  like  angels'  visits,  few 
and  far  between."  The  pioneers  depended  much 
upon  their  rifles  for  support,  until  they  were  able  to 
obtain  supplies  from  the  soil.  Now  I  am  really  de 
lighted  with  the  changes  which  I  behold.  These 
hunters  were  a  hardy  class  of  men,  and  would  give 

26 


402  LIFE    AND   TIMES    OF 

thrilling  incidents  of  their  exploits  in  those  "days 
which  tried  men's  souls."  But,  noble-minded  as 
they  were,  they  were  apt,  by  habit,  to  fall  into  a 
besetting  sin — they  became  reckless  of  life.  The 
glorious  Author  of  all  life  has  permitted  man  to  take 
the  life  of  beasts  when  he  needs  their  skins  for  use, 
or  their  flesh  for  sustenance.  He  may  also  kill  wild 
beasts,  or  anything  that  would  injure  or  destroy  man, 
or  the  labor  of  his  hands;  but  some  have  a  rare  thirst 
for  blood,  even  when  they  have  no  idea  of  making 
any  use  of  either  hide,  flesh,  or  tallow.  Behold  the 
sportsman  as  he  goes  forth  for  his  game.  He  hears 
the  chirping  of  a  bird  ensconced  in  the  foliage  of  that 
tree.  He  stops,  and  with  his  keen  eye  discerns  his 
victim,  as  she  raises  her  grateful  song  to  the  top  of 
her  voice.  He  has  no  ear  for  such  music,  and  holds 
a  short  consultation  upon  her  life :  "  She  is  a  fair 
mark,  and  I  wish  to  test  my  skill,  and  the  correct 
ness  of  my  rifle,  by  putting  a  ball  through  her  heart." 
He  takes  aim,  the  singing  ceases,  and  the  harmless 
creature  falls  dead  to  the  earth.  He  leaves  her  to 
rot  where  she  fell,  and  passes  on  with  much  self- 
complacency.  Alas  for  that  man !  God  has  told 
him  that  not  a  sparrow  falls  to  the  ground  without 
his  notice.  God  was  there,  and  saw  the  working  of 
his  mind  when  he  determined  upon  blood,  and  the 
motive  which  induced  him  to  present  the  deadly 
weapon.  He  has  taken  what  he  cannot  restore,  if  it 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  403 

were  to  save  his  soul  from  death.  We  may  try  to 
excuse  his  thoughtlessness,  but  that  will  not  suffice ; 
there  is  a  depravity  of  nature  which  must  be  removed. 

"'There  has  been  a  company  out  hunting  in  these 
woods  to-day.  With  cautious  steps  they  approached 
the  place  where  they  expected  to  find  their  game, 
and  coming  suddenly  to  an  open  space,  they  saw  a 
noble  buck  standing  still,  and  looking  intensely  at 
them.  One  fired,  but  instead  of  sending  the  ball 
through  his  heart  it  took  effect  in  his  leg,  and  with 
one  bound  into  the  bushes  he  made  his  escape.  Who 
can  tell  what  he  may  suffer  from  that  wound,  and  it 
may  be,  go  halting  upon  that  leg  all  his  life  ?' 

"The  bishop  said  he  had  watched  their  agitation 
as  he  progressed ;  their  hurry  increased,  with  down 
cast  eyes,  until  he  came  to  that  point.  'Then  they 
rose  simultaneously,  bowed  me  a  good  evening, 
leaped  into  their  carriage,  and  were  soon  out  of 
sight.' " 

The  next  Conference  was  held  at  Philadelphia, 
and  from  thence  he  went  to  the  New  York  Confer 
ence  at  Amenia,  and  the  New  England  Conference 
at  New  London,  and  from  thence  returned  by  way 
of  New  York  and  Philadelphia  to  Baltimore.  While 
here  he  visited  Perry  Hall,  which  he  now  found  a 
house  of  mourning.  Mr.  Gough,  the  proprietor,  was 
dead.  Of  this  gentleman  Asbury  writes :  "  Harry  Dor- 
sey  Gough  professed  more  than  thirty  years  ago  to  be 


404  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

convicted  and  sanctified ;  that  he  did  depart  from 
God  is  well  known,  but  it  is  equally  certain  that 
he  was  visibly  restored ;  as  I  was  the  means  of  his 
turning  to  God,  so  was  I  also  of  his  return  and 
restoration.  Certain  prejudices  he  had  taken  up 
against  myself  and  others  I  removed.  In  his  last 
hours,  which  were  painfully  afflictive,  he  was  much 
given  up  to  God.  Mr.  Gough  had  inherited  a  large 
estate  in  England,  and,  having  the  means,  he  in 
dulged  his  taste  for  gardening  and  the  expensive 
embellishment  of  his  country  seat,  Perry  Hall,  which 
was  always  hospitably  opened  to  visitors,  particularly 
those  who  feared  God.  Although  a  man  of  plain 
understanding,  Mr.  Gough  was  much  respected  and 
beloved.  As  a  father,  a  husband,  and  a  master,  he 
was  well  worthy  of  imitation.  His  charities  were  as 
numerous  as  proper  objects  to  a  Christian  were  likely 
to  make  them,  and  the  souls  and  bodies  of  the  poor 
were  administered  to  in  the  manner  of  a  Christian 
who  remembered  the  precepts  and  followed  the  ex 
ample  of  his  Divine  Master." 

On  July  5,  1806,  in  Dover,  Delaware,  Asbury's 
episcopal  colleague,  Richard  Whatcoat,  was  called 
from  labor  to  reward.  He  was  a  native  of  England, 
where  he  was  converted  at  an  early  age  and  joined 
the  Wesley  an  society.  After  passing  through  various 
subordinate  offices  in  the  Church,  he  received  license 
to  preach,  and  was  in  due  time  regularly  inducted  into 


FRANCIS    ASBUEY.  405 

the  ranks  of  the  traveling  ministry.  Having  fully 
counted  the  cost  of  toil  and  sacrifice  connected  with 
the  work  of  an  itinerant,  he  manifested  a  devotion  to 
the  same  by  the  entire  consecration  of  himself.  He 
entered  with  zeal  upon  some  of  the  hardest  circuits  of 
the  Conference,  and  all  his  labors  were  characterized 
by  the  most  remarkable  fidelity.  For  fifteen  years 
he  traveled  extensively,  and  labored  successfully  in 
England,  Wales,  and  Ireland.  Some  of  his  circuits 
required  eight  weeks  to  complete  the  round,  and  he 
often  preached  three  times  a  day.  On  one  circuit 
which  he  traveled  the  people  were  too  poor  to  render 
him  any  support,  and  rather  than  deprive  of  the  Gos 
pel  that  class  for  which  it  was  specially  designed,  he 
sold  his  horse  and  traveled  on  foot.  As  a  matter  of 
course,  wherever  he  went  he  was  cordially  received 
by  the  people,  who  flocked  out  in  crowds  to  hear  one 
who  manifested  so  much  interest  in  their  welfare. 
He  was  as  successful  as  he  was  popular,  multitudes 
being  converted  through  his  instrumentality.  Like 
Asbury,  and  the  other  noble  band  of  early  pioneers  to 
America,  his  heart  was  stirred  at  the  descriptions 
given  of  this  vast  field  of  missionary  enterprise, 
and  in  1784  he  volunteered  his  services  and  came 
over  with  Dr.  Coke,  to  enter  upon  his  much  loved 
toil  in  this  western  world.  From  the  time  of  his 
arrival  on  these  shores,  whether  as  traveling  large 
districts,  or  with  the  laborious  Asbury,  making  the 


406  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

tour  of  the  continent,  be  always  inspired  and  main 
tained  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  the  preachers. 
He  enjoyed  to  a  remarkable  degree  the  confidence  of 
Wesley,  and  perhaps  no  man  ever  lived  who  filled  up 
the  measure  of  Wesley's  idea  of  a  Methodist  more 
than  the  self-sacrificing  Whatcoat. 

At  the  General  Conference  of  1800,  as  the  reader 
will  already  have  seen,  he  was  raised  by  the 
suffrages  of  his  brethren  to  the  distinguished  office  of 
a  bishop,  a  position  which  he  filled  with  honor  to 
himself  and  usefulness  to  the  Church  for  a  period  of 
six  years.  Though  the  materials  are  scarce  from 
which  to  write  a  sketch  of  this  great  and  good  man, 
yet  is  there  enough  in  the  unblemished  reputation  of 
his  character,  and  his  unceasing  devotion  to  all  the 
interests  of  the  Church,  together  with  the  success  that 
crowned  his  labors,  to  make  a  volume.  The  merest 
sketch,  however,  must  suffice,  and  such  is  all  we  pro 
pose  to  give.  One  of  his  cotemporaries  thus  speaks 
of  him:  "We  will  not  use  many  words  to  describe 
this  almost  inimitable  man.  Dead  to  envy,  pride,  or 
praise,  he  was  raised  above  the  world :  sober  without 
sadness,  cheerful  without  levity,  careful  without  cov- 
etousness,  and  decent  without  pride."  Like  most  of 
the  preachers  of  those  days  he  led  a  life  of  poverty, 
and  when  he  died  was  not  possessed  of  property  suffi 
cient  to  pay  his  funeral  expenses.  Though  not  pos 
sessed  of  much  erudition,  his  attainments  were  respect- 


FKAXCIS    ASBURY.  407 

able,  and  he  was  a  most  devoted  student  of  the  word 
and  works  of  God,  a  study  of  vastly  greater  conse 
quence  than  many  things  supposed  to  be  essential  to 
the  ministerial  work.  So  deeply  was  he  read  in  the 
Scriptures,  and  so  faithfully  had  he  treasured  up  their 
teachings,  that  one  of  his  friends  called  him  a  walking 
concordance.  His  labors  as  a  bishop  were  only  ex 
celled  by  those  of  his  senior  in  the  episcopal  office, 
and  such  is  the  change  of  circumstances  that  they 
will  not  likely  be  equaled  again  in  this  country. 
During  the  last  years  of  his  life  he  suffered  much 
from  disease,  but  in  the  midst  of  all  he  was  regarded 
as  a  prodigy  of  patience.  Excruciating  as  were  his 
sufferings, 

"  He  did  not  murmur  or  complain 

Beneath  the  chastening  rod, 
But  in  the  hour  of  grief  and  pain 

He  hung  upon  his  God." 

At  Wesley  Chapel,  Dover,  the  place  of  his  grave, 
Bishop  Asbury  delivered  a  funeral  discourse  from  the 
text,  "  But  thou  hast  fully  known  my  doctrine,  man 
ner  of  life,  purpose,  faith,  long-suffering,  charity, 
patience."  In  that  discourse  the  bishop  said  "  he 
had  known  Kichard  Whatcoat  from  his  own  age  of 
fourteen  to  sixty-two  years  most  intimately ;  and  had 
tried  him  most  accurately,  in  the  soundness  of  his 
faith,  in  the  doctrine  of  universal  depravity  and  the 


408  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

complete  and  general  atonement;  the  insufficiency 
of  either  moral  or  ceremonial  righteousness  for  justi 
fication,  in  opposition  to  faith  alone  in  the  merit  and 
righteousness  of  Christ ;  the  doctrine  of  regeneration 
and  sanctih'cation.  He  spoke  of  his  holy  manner  of 
life,  manifest  in  all  places,  and  before  all  people,  as  a 
Christian  and  as  a  minister;  his  long-suffering,  a 
man  of  great  affliction  of  body  and  mind,  having 
been  exercised  with  severe  diseases  and  great  labors ; 
but  this  did  not  abate  his  charity — his  love  of  God  and 
man — in  all  its  effects,  tempers,  words,  and  actions ; 
bearing  with  resignation  and  patience  great  tempta 
tions,  bodily  labors,  and  inexpressible  pain.  In  life 
and  death,  placid  and  calm ;  as  he  lived,  so  he  died." 

Asbury  had  made  his  death  the  occasion  of  numer 
ous  discourses  at  the  Conferences  and  elsewhere, 
and  the  above  tribute  to  his  memory  is  sufficient  to 
show  how  greatly  he  loved  his  first  colleague  in  the 
episcopacy. 

On  the  6th  of  May,  1808,  the  General  Conference 
opened  in  Baltimore.  One  hundred  and  twenty-nine 
members  were  present  and  took  their  seats.  On  the 
succeeding  Sabbath  the  new  church  in  Eutaw- 
street  was  dedicated,  and  the  sermon  was  preached 
by  Asbury  from  2  Corinthians,  iii,  12:  "Seeing  then 
that  we  have  such  hope,  we  use  great  plainness  of 
speech."  The  sermon  was  characterized  by  great 
directness  and  force.  During  this  Conference,  at  the 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  409 

request  of  several  preachers  in  England  and  the  Gen 
eral  Conference,  Mr.  Bruff,  an  artist,  took  a  likeness 
of  Asbury,  which  afterward  appeared  in  the  English 
Methodist  Magazine.  It  represented  him  with  flow 
ing  white  hair,  falling  in  ringlets  on  his  shoulders. 
At  this  Conference  Asbury  was  left  alone  in  the 
presidency,  Coke  not  having  returned  from  England, 
and  "Whatcoat  having  died. 

After  attending  to  the  necessary  preliminaries  con 
nected  with  Conference  business,  the  case  of  Dr. 
Coke  was  taken  up.  During  his  last  absence  he  had 
married  a  lady  of  wealth  and  respectability  in  En 
gland,  who  proved  in  every  respect  a  helper  in  the 
great  work  of  extending  the  Gospel  abroad.  He  had 
suggested  as  a  condition  of  his  return  to  the  United 
States  that  the  continent  be  divided  into  two  separate 
dioceses,  he  to  preside  over  one  and  Asbury  over  the 
other.  He  furthermore  claimed  the  full  right  to  give 
his  judgment  in  the  General  and  Annual  Conferences 
in  everything  pertaining  to  the  making  of  laws, 
stationing  of  preachers,  and  sending  out  mission 
aries.  What  the  General  Conference  felt  disposed  to 
grant  Dr.  Coke  in  relation  to  the  exercise  of  the 
rights  which  he  claimed  in  the  Conferences  we  are 
not  prepared  definitely  to  state,  but  the  proposal  to 
divide  the  country  into  two  separate  and  dis 
tinct  ecclesiastical  dioceses  they  did  not  for  a 
moment  entertain.  The  Conference  were  somewhat 


410  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

dissatisfied  with,  the  course  pursued  by  Dr.  Coke  in 
relation  to  the  Bishop  "White  affair.     It  seems  from 
the  history  of  the  transaction  that   the  proposal  of 
the  doctor,   made  to  Bishop  White  for  a  union  of 
the  Protestant  Episcopal    and   Methodist   Episcopal 
Churches,  was  of  a  purely  confidential  character,  and 
designed  only  to  elicit  an    opinion  as  to  the  propriety 
and   practicability  of  the   measure.     In   addition   to 
this  it  was  of  a  personal  character,  and  in  no  way  in 
volved  the  Methodist  Church  or  the  General  Confer 
ence.     The  whole  affair  was  doubtless  prompted  by 
the  purest  motives,  arising  in  all  probability  from  the 
peculiar  condition  of  the   Methodist  Church  at  the 
time.   The  O'Kelly  schism  had  created  a  considerable 
alarm  lest  the  Church  should  be  torn  asunder;  and  this 
state  of  things  doubtless  moved  the  doctor  to  look  to  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  believing  that  a  union 
with   that  body  without  a  compromise  of  principles 
would  prove  of  essential  service  to  both.     !N~o  one 
should  hold  him  accountable  for  an  error  of  judgment 
under  circumstances  of  this  description.     Such  event 
ually  was  the  light  in  which  the  subject  was  viewed  by 
the  General  Conference,  and  the  following  resolutions 
show  that  they  entertained  for  him  the  highest  regards: 
"  1.  IZesolved,  That  we  do  retain  a  grateful  remem 
brance  of  the  services  and  labors  of  Dr.  Coke  among 
us,  and  that  the  thanks  of  this  Conference  are  here 
by  acknowledged  to  him  and  to  God  for  all  his  labors 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  411 

of  love  toward  us  from  the  time  he  first  left  his 
native  country  to  serve  us. 

"  2.  Resolved,  That  Dr.  Coke's  name  shall  be  re 
tained  on  our  Minutes  after  the  names  of  the  bishops, 
in  a  Nota  Bene  :  Dr.  Coke,  at  the  request  of  the  Brit 
ish  Conference,  and  by  consent  of  our  General  Confer 
ence,  resides  in  Europe.  He  is  not  to  exercise  the 
office  of  superintendent  or  bishop  among  us  in  the 
United  States  until  he  be  recalled  by  the  General 
Conference  or  by  all  the  Annual  Conferences  re 
spectively." 

Furthermore,  in  their  address  to  the  British  Con 
ference,  they  hold  the  following  language  in  regard 
to  Dr.  Coke:  "Your  request  for  the  continuance  of 
our  beloved  brother,  Dr.  Coke,  among  you,  has  been 
taken  into  the  most  serious  and  solemn  deliberation 
in  our  Conference,  and,  in  compliance  with  your  re 
quest,  a  vote  has  passed  that  he  may  continue  with  you 
until  he  may  be  called  to  us  by  all  the  Annual  Con 
ferences  respectively  or  the  General  Conference.  We 
are,  however,  not  insensible  of  his  value,  or  ungrate 
ful  for  his  past  labors  of  love,  and  we  do  sincerely 
pray  that  the  everlasting  God  may  still  be  with  him, 
and  make  him  a  blessing  to  hundreds  and  thousands 
of  immortal  souls." 

On  the  twelfth  day  of  the  Conference  a  resolution 
was  passed  that  the  episcopacy  be  strengthened  by 
the  election  of  an  additional  bishop.  When  the  bal- 


412  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

lot  was  had  it  was  ascertained  that  the  lot  had  fallen 
upon  William  M'Kendree,  the  western  pioneer.  He 
was  taken  from  the  well-tried  field  of  itinerant  labor, 
and  hence  was  practically  acquainted  with,  and  had 
a  deep  experience  in  the  toils  and  hardships  of  an 
itinerant  life.  On  the  17th  of  May  he  was  ordained 
by  Asbury,  and  regularly  inducted  into  office.  The 
subsequent  life  and  labors  of  this  bishop  showed  the 
wisdom  of  the  choice  of  the  General  Conference. 

The  next  question  brought  before  the  Conference 
was  the  memorial  of  the  New  York  Conference  in  re 
lation  to  a  delegated  General  Conference.  In  this 
memorial  the  Eastern,  Western,  and  South  Carolina 
Conferences  concurred,  the  two  former  unanimously, 
the  latter  giving  five  dissentient  votes.  The  subject 
was  referred  to  a  committee  consisting  of  two  from 
each  of  the  Annual  Conferences.  The  following  are 
the  names  of  the  committee,  and  the  Conferences  to 
which  they  respectively  belonged :  New  York,  Eze- 
kiel  Cooper  and  John  Wilson  ;  New  England,  Josh 
ua  Soule  and  George  Pickering ;  Western,  William 
M'Kendree  and  William  Burke  ;  South  Carolina,  Wil 
liam  Phoebus  and  Josiah  Randall ;  Virginia,  Philip 
Bruce  and  Jesse  Lee ;  Baltimore,  Stephen  G.  Roszel 
and  Nelson  Reed  ;  Philadelphia,  John  M'Claskey  and 
Thomas  Ware.  After  seven  days'  deliberation  this 
committee  presented  their  report,  which  was  read 
and  laid  on  the  table  for  the  space  of  eight  days, 


FRANCIS   ASBUKY.  413 

when,  on  motion,  it  was  taken  up  and  discussed. 
The  report  was  designed,  if  adopted,  to  constitute  a 
section  of  the  Discipline  relative  to  the  constitution 
of  the  General  Conference  and  its  powers  and  pre 
rogatives.  The  original  paper  was  finally  adopted, 
with  a  few  slight  modifications.  As  this  section  has 
been  changed  in  some  parts  from  time  to  time,  we 
have  thought  it  proper  to  give  it  to  our  readers  as  it 
originally  stood  in  the  Discipline  : 

"  The  General  Conference  shall  not  change  or  alter 
any  part  of  our  rules  of  government  so  as  to  do  away 
episcopacy,  or  destroy  the  plan  of  our  itinerant  gen 
eral  superintendency.  ...  It  shall  have  fall  power  to 
make  rules  and  regulations  for  our  Church  under  the 
following  restrictions : 

"  1.  The  General  Conference  shall  not  revoke,  alter, 
or  change  our  articles  of  religion,  nor  establish  any 
new  standards  or  rules  of  doctrine  contrary  to  our 
present  existing  and  established  standards  of  doctrine. 

"  2.  They  shall  not  allow  of  more  than  one  repre 
sentative  for  every  five  members  of  the  Annual  Con 
ferences,  nor  allow  of  a  less  number  than  one  for 
every  seven. 

"  3.  They  shall  not  revoke  or  change  the  General 
Rules  of  the  United  Societies. 

"  4.  They  shall  not  do  away  the  privileges  of  our 
ministers  or  preachers  of  trial  by  a  committee,  and  of 
an  appeal :  neither  shall  they  do  away  the  privileges 


414  LIFE    A^D   TIMES    OF 

of  our  members  of  trial  before  the  society,  or  by  a 
committee,  and  of  an  appeal. 

"  5.  They  shall  not  appropriate  the  produce  of  the 
Book  Concern  or  of  the  Charter  Fund  to  any  purpose 
other  than  for  the  benefit  of  the  traveling,  super 
numerary,  superannuated,  and  worn-out  preachers, 
their  wives,  widows,  and  children. 

"6.  Provided,  nevertheless,  that  upon  the  joint 
recommendation  of  all  the  Annual  Conferences,  then 
a  majority  of  two-thirds  of  the  General  Conference 
succeeding  shall  suffice  to  alter  any  of  the  above 
restrictions." 

The  subject  of  slaveiy  was  introduced  by  Stephen 
G.  Roszel,  who  proposed  an  amendment,  which  was 
lost.  John  M'Claskey  moved  that  the  whole  section 
on  the  subject  be  stricken  from  the  Discipline,  which 
was  also  lost.  Mr.  Koszel  subsequently  offered  the 
following,  seconded  by  Thomas  Ware,  which  was 
carried,  namely  :  "  That  the  first  two  paragraphs  of 
the  section  on  slavery  be  retained  in  the  Discipline, 
and  that  the  General  Conference  authorize  each 
Annual  Conference  to  form  their  own  regulations 
relative  to  buying  arid  selling  slaves." 

On  motion  of  Bishop  Asbury,  which  was  carried, 
one  thousand  copies  of  the  Discipline,  with  the 
section  and  rule  on  slavery  omitted,  for  the  use  of 
the  South  Carolina  Conference,  was  ordered  to  be 
prepared. 


FRANCIS   ASBURY.  415 

At  the  close  of  the  Conference  Asbury  felt  greatly 
relieved  that  his  "  beloved  M'Kendree"  had  become 
associated  with  him  in  bearing  the  labors  and  respon 
sibilities  of  the  episcopacy.  After  a  short  respite  he 
started  out  with  Henry  Boehm,  a  German  minister, 
on  a  tour  through  Pennsylvania,  preaching  to  Eng 
lish  and  German  congregations  in  numerous  places. 

Of  this  tour  Mr.  Boehm,  the  only  surviving  travel 
ing  companion  of  Asbury,  and  who  still  retains  a 
vivid  recollection  of  him,  furnishes  the  following 
reminiscences : 

"  For  several  years  Bishop  Asbury  gave  me  intima 
tions  of  his  intention  to  take  me  with  him,  one  motive 
of  which  was  to  minister  to  the  Germans  when  an 
opportunity  offered  in  his  tours.  At  the  General 
Conference  at  Baltimore,  in  1808,  he  came  to  the  con 
clusion  that  I  should  travel  with  him.  Accordingly 
I  proceeded  to  Pipe  Creek,  where  I  met  the  bishop 
at  the  house  of  Brother  M'Cannon.  Here  we  saw  the 
remains  of  the  house  of  worship  erected  in  the  days 
of  Mr.  Strawbridge,  of  whose  person  I  have  some 
faint  recollection  when  on  a  visit  at  my  father's,  near 
seventy  years  ago.  We  proceeded  through  Frederick- 
town,  Hftgerstown,  and  Fort  Cumberland,  preaching 
frequently  by  the  way  ;  then  toiled  across  the  Alle- 
ghany  Mountain,  the  road  being  very  rough.  By 
the  time  we  descended  on  the  west  side  of  the  moun 
tain  the  indefatigable  bishop  was  attacked  with  in- 


416  LIFE    ATsTD    TIMES    OF 

flammatory  rheumatism,  which  deprived  him  of  the 
use  of  his  feet ;  and  his  companion  had  to  follow  the 
appointments  on  to  Pittsburgh.  The  last  appointment 
was  on  Sabbath,  and  had  to  be  noticed  in  some  of 
the  newspapers ;  the  bishop  in  the  morning,  and  his 
companion  in  the  afternoon  in  German :  this  was  a 
heavy  cross  for  a  young  man,  but  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  I  undertook  the  work,  and  succeeded  botli  in  the 
morning  and  afternoon,  as  also  at  five  o'clock,  in 
Brother  Wrenshall's  yard.  The  Methodist  society 
was  small,  and  had  no  house  of  worship  in  Pittsburgh. 
"  I  now  hastened  back  to  the  forks  of  Youghiogany 
and  Monongahela,  and  found  Father  Asbury  still  very 
lame.  During  my  absence  he  had  provided  himself 
with  a  pair  of  crutches,  and  was  actually  shaping  his 
course  for  a  start.  It  was  truly,  from  all  human 
appearance,  a  hopeless  case,  but  it  must  be  under 
taken.  We  started  for  Washington  ;  every  step  of 
the  horse  was  painful ;  when  we  arrived  at  said  town 
I  lifted  him  off  his  horse,  and  carried  him  into  the 
house,  to  the  astonishment  of  the  kind  family  when 
they  found  that  he  had  traveled  on  horseback  through 
a  shower  of  rain.  We  carried  the  crutches  with  us, 
though  for  the  time  being  they  were  of  no  use.  Next 
morning  we  were  on  the  road,  and  arrived  in  safety 
at  Brother  Beck's,  a  family  of  blessed  memory. 
Here  we  rested  a  little  while,  and  then  proceeded  to 
Wheeling,  tarried  with  Colonel  Zane,  one  of  the  early 


FRANCIS    ASBUBY-.  417 

settlers  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio.  I  recollect,  among 
many  remarks,  one  very  remarkable  incident,  related 
to  us  by  the  old  people.  Their  house  was  assaulted 
by  a  company  of  Indians ;  the  wife  molded  bullets, 
while  the  husband  used  them  with  such  effect  that 
they  happily  succeeded  in  defending  themselves 
against  a  superior  force. 

"  We  crossed  the  Ohio,  and  then  crossed  the  Mus- 
kingum  at  Zanesville.  In  the  vicinity  of  New  Lan 
caster  we  fell  in  with  brothers  Sale  and  James  Quinn, 
now  among  the  happy  dead  ;  the  former  was  presid 
ing  elder  of  the  district,  then  extending  from  the  Big 
Miami  to  the  Muskingum.  Brother  Sale  accompa 
nied  us  to  Chillicothe  and  to  Xenia,  where  his  family 
resided.  There  lived  here  a  worthy  family  who  had 
removed  from  Virginia,  and  laid  a  lasting  foundation 
for  Methodism,  namely,  Pelham,  Bonner,  and  others. 

"We  proceeded  to  Lebanon,  an  infant  village 
down  the  Little  Miami,  to  the  venerable  Philip 
Gatch's,  where  we  found  a  camp-meeting.  Here  I 
had  an  opportunity  to  preach  to  the  Germans,  as 
also  in  Cincinnati,  which  was  probably  the  first  ser- 
inon  preached  in  German  by  a  Methodist  minister 
in  that  town,  containing  then  about  two  thousand 
inhabitants.  Notwithstanding  the  affliction  of  Bish 
op  Asbury,  he  preached  almost  daily  when  opportu 
nity  served,  and  by  the  time  we  arrived  at  Cincinnati 
he  was  much  better  of  his  lameness.  In  this  town, 

27 


418  LIFE   AND   TIMES    OF 

likewise,  there  was  a  foundation  of  good  materials  in 
the  Methodist  society,  fine,  steady,  pious  members. 

"  Leaving  Cincinnati,  we  traveled  in  company  with 
Brother  and  Sister  Lakin  to  Lawrenceburgh,  Indiana 
Territory,  where  we  tarried  with  Brother  Elijah 
Sparks.  This  was  quite  an  infant  village.  We 
passed  down  opposite  Kentucky  River,  where  we 
crossed  the  Ohio  in  a  leaky  scow,  and  were  in 
considerable  danger.  We  now  took  our  course 
through  Kentucky  to  Tennessee,  to  Brother  James 
Gwin's.  Here  the  Western  Conference  had  its  ses 
sion,  embracing  all  west  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains, 
except  what  the  Baltimore  Conference  included  ;  it 
likewise  took  in  East  Tennessee,  with  Southwest  Vir 
ginia.  What  changes  since  that  period  !  To  my 
great  surprise  Eather  Asbury  bore  up  under  all  the 
toil  and  labor  of  traveling  and  preaching,  together 
with  the  care  of  all  the  Churches,  and  notwithstand 
ing,  he  was  a  very  agreeable  companion  on  the 
road." 

Crossing  over  to  Kentucky  they  met  M'Kendree, 
and  journeyed  on  to  Nashville,  and  thence  to  the 
seat  of  the  Conference.  The  Conference  was  in 
Williamson  county,  held  in  the  encampment,  where 
the  preachers  ate  and  slept  in  tents.  It  was  a  peace 
ful  and  prosperous  time ;  eighty  preachers  were  sta 
tioned.  At  this  Conference  a  regulation  was  adopted 
respecting  slavery,  to  the  effect  that  "no  member  of 


FBANCIS    ASBUEY.  419 

the  society,  or  preacher,  should  sell  or  buy  a  slave 
unjustly,  inhumanly,  or  covetously." 

From  this  Conference  they  started,  with  fifty  trav 
elers  in  company,  across  the  wilderness.     The  toils 
of  the  journey  preyed  heavily  on  Asbury's  constitu 
tion,  but  still  he  toiled  on.     Arriving  at  Buncombe, 
North  Carolina,  they  stopped  for  rest,    and  M'Ken- 
dree  and  Boehm  preached  alternately.    Thence  they 
journeyed  to  South  Carolina,   stopping  at  Camden, 
where    they  were  greatly  refreshed  by  intelligence 
from  Baltimore  and  elsewhere  of  glorious  revivals  of 
religion.     The   next  point  was  a  camp-meeting   in 
Georgia,  where  Conference  was  held.     There  was  an 
immense  concourse  of  people,  many  of  whom  had 
come  a  great  distance.     The  number  of  traveling  and 
local  preachers  present  was  about  three  hundred,  and 
preaching,   exhortation,   and   prayer   were   kept  up 
without  intermission.      During  this  tour  Asbury  and 
M'Kendree  rode  together  in  a  carriage.     In  the  Jour 
nal  it  is  thus  described  :  "  We  are  riding  in  a  poor 
thirty-dollar  chaise,  in  partnership,  two  bishops  of  us ; 
but  it  must  be  confessed  it  tallies  well  with  the  weight 
of  our  purses.     What  bishops !     Well,  but  we  have 
great  times  ;  each  Western,  Southern,  and  the  Vir 
ginia  Conference  will   have  a  thousand  souls  truly 
converted  to  God,  and  is  not  this  an  equivalent  for  a 
light  purse,  and  are  we  not  well  paid  for  starving  and 
toil  ?     Yes,  glory  to  God  I" 


420  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

Asbury  went  to  Rembert's  Chapel  to  fill  an  ap 
pointment  which  had  been  made  for  Bishop  M'Ken- 
dree.  Mr.  Rembert,  after  whom  this  chapel  was 
named,  was  a  resident  of  South  Carolina,  and  his 
house  was  a  favorite  resort  of  the  bishop.  In  speak 
ing  of  this  Christian  gentleman,  whose  hospitalities  he 
frequently  enjoyed,  he  says:  "He  is  kind  and  good, 
rich  and  liberal,  and  has  done  more  for  the  poor 
Methodists  than  any  man  in  South  Carolina.  The 
Lord  grant  that  he,  with  his  whole  household,  may 
find  mercy  in  that  day." 

The  next  Conference  they  attended  was  the  Virginia, 
which  was  held  in  February,  1809.  Among  the  eighty- 
four  preachers  present  there  were  only  three  who  were 
married.  "While  at  this  Conference  Asbury  complained 
of  the  course  taken  by  certain  people  to  prejudice 
slaveholders  against  Methodist  principles,  and  thus 
keep  them  from  having  access  to  the  slaves.  In  this 
connection  he  asks  the  following  question :  "  "Would 
not  an  amelioration  in  the  condition  and  treatment  of 
slaves  have  produced  more  practical  good  to  the  poor 
Africans  than  any  attempt  at  their  emancipation  f 
The  state  of  society  unhappily  does  not  admit  of  this ; 
besides,  the  blacks  are  deprived  of  the  means  of  in 
struction,  and  who  will  take  the  pains  to  lead  them 
in  the  way  of  salvation,  and  watch  over  them  that 
they  may  not  stray,  but  the  Methodists  ?" 

In  consequence  of  the  position  taken  by  the  Gen- 


FRANCIS    ASBU.RY.  421 

eral  Conference  previously  on  the  subject  of  slavery, 
some  of  the  legislative  assemblies  of  the  South  had 
passed  laws  prohibiting  ministers  from  instructing 
the  slaves  except  upon  certain  conditions,  and  author 
izing  the  peace  officers  to  break  up  any  meetings 
that  might  be  held  in  private  for  their  benefit.  In 
regard  to  the  effect  of  the  address  of  the  General 
Conference  upon  the  citizens  of  South  Carolina,  As- 
bury  says  :  "  Nothing  could  so  effectually  alarm  and 
arm  the  citizens  of  South  Carolina  against  the  Meth 
odists.  The  rich  among  the  people  never  thought  us 
worthy  to  preach  to  them  ;  they  did  indeed  give 
their  slaves  liberty  to  hear  and  join  our  Church,  but 
now  it  appears  the  poor  Africans  will  no  longer  have 
this  indulgence."  Asbury  frequently  lamented  that 
his  way  was  hedged  up,  and  that  he  had  not  the 
access  to  the  slaves  which  he  so  much  desired.  At 
the  Conference  held  in  Tennessee  in  1808,  the  year 
immediately  preceding  the  present  time,  we  learn 
from  his  Journal  that  a  rule  was  adopted  on  the 
subject  of  slavery  which  prohibited  any  member  of 
the  Church,  or  preacher,  from  selling  or  buying  a 
slave  "  unjustly,  inhumanly,  or  covetously." 

The  bishops  continued  on  their  journey  until  they 
reached  Baltimore,  the  old  starting  point,  and  from 
thence  passed  through  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jer 
sey  on  to  New  York.  Here  Conference  was  held. 
One  hundred  and  fifteen  preachers  were  stationed. 


422  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

The  ordination  of  elders  took  place  at  John-street, 
and  the  occasion  was  one  of  great  interest  to  the 
Church  in  the  city.  From  hence  Asbury  sought  the 
rest  and  quiet  of  Sherwood  vale,  where  he  spent  the 
Sabbath  and  preached.  From  this  he  started  with 
Boehm  for  his  Eastern  tour.  Passing  through  New 
Haven,  New  London,  Newport,  Bristol,  and  Warren, 
he  journeyed  on  to  Boston,  where  he  preached  in  the 
old  chapel  on  Sabbath  morning,  and  in  the  afternoon 
in  the  new.  Such  was  his  feebleness  here  that  he  was 
obliged  to  preach  in  a  sitting  posture.  From  this 
place  he  went  to  New  Gloucester,  where  Conference 
was  held.  On  Sabbath  he  preached  to  an  immense 
congregation  consisting  of  thousands.  In  Danville, 
Vermont,  he  was  invited  to  preach  to  the  court, 
which  was  then  in  session,  but  his  health  would  not 
allow  the  undertaking;  a  large  congregation,  how 
ever,  collected  in  the  Church,  and  he  preached,  sitting 
in  one  of  the  pews  near  the  pulpit.  From  hence  he 
proceeded  on  his  way  through  Marshfield,  Mid 
dlesex,  Waterbury,  and  Richmond  to  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  and  from  thence  onward  to  Fort  Edward, 
where  he  preached  in  Dr.  Lawrence's  store  to  five 
hundred  attentive  hearers.  Afterward  he  preached 
in  M'Cready's  barn,  on  Saratoga  Lake,  and  from 
thence  he  went  to  General  Clark's,  where  he  preached 
in  a  bar-room.  His  next  stopping  place  was 
Ballston  Springs,  which  he  compares  to  those  of 


FEANCIS    ASBUEY.  423 

Bath,  in  England :  "  The  water,"  he  says,  "  has  a  taste 
of  beer,  lemon  juice,  and  salt  of  tartar."  From  Balls- 
ton  he  went  to  Kingsbury,  where  he  took  to  the 
woods  for  a  shade  and  preached  to  a  thousand  people. 
While  here  he  remarks :  "  I  wish  to  fast  as  when 
young,  and  when  fast- day  comes  the  body  has  a 
journey  of  forty  miles  to  make,  and  do  its  part  in 
preaching ;  but  Christ  is  strength  in  my  weakness." 
Thus  he  continued  on  his  journey  until  he  reached 
Onondaga,  where  he  preached  in  the  court-house  on 
Saturday  and  Sunday  to  large  congregations.  De 
scribing  his  journey  from  this  place  in  the  midst  of  a 
storm,  he  says,  "  We  had  an  awful  time  in  the  woods 
among  rocks,  and  trees  living  and  dead  barring 
our  way." 

We  cannot  trace  the  bishop  in  his  wanderings 
from  place  to  place.  Suffice  it  to  say  he  passed 
on  from  New  York  through  Pennsylvania,  crossed 
the  Alleghany  Mountains,  stopping  at  Wheeling, 
where  Colonel  Zane  had  given  the  Methodists  a  lot 
for  a  house.  He  preached  here  in  the  court-house 
"with  light  and  power,  having  an  open  time." 
Boehm  preached  in  St.  Clairsville,  and  also  at  Zanes- 
ville,  named  after  the  colonel.  From  thence  they 
went  to  Lancaster,  where  he  spoke  to  the  assembled 
people  in  the  court-house,  and  then  on  to  Chillicothe, 
Hamilton,  Milford,  Columbia,  and  "  fair  Cincinnati," 
as  the  bishop  called  it.  He  found  the  "  old  stone  " 


424  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

enlarged  and  the  society  increased.  At  the  camp- 
meeting  held  near  Cincinnati  the  bishop  preached,  as 
also  Blackman,  M'Kendree,  and  Burke.  Conference 
was  held  this  year  (1809)  at  Cincinnati. 

From  this  Conference  he  and  M'Kendree  started 
out  for  the  South,  through  Kentucky,  Tennessee, 
North  and  South  Carolina,  holding  meetings  and 
Conferences  on  the  route,  and  returning  by  Virginia 
to  Baltimore,  where  he  says :  "  If  we  want  plenty  of 
good  living  and  new  suits  of  clothes  let  us  come  to 
Baltimore."  They  evidently  did  want  them,  and  the 
Baltimore  Methodists  showed  their  religion  and  good 
sense  in  providing  for  these  bachelor  bishops.  After 
Conference  Asbury  went  to  Perry  Hall,  and  started 
from  thence  on  his  customary  route  eastward,  in  com 
pany  with  Bishop  M'Kendree,  holding  Conference  in 
Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  at  which  eighty-four  preach 
ers  were  stationed,  and  two  missionaries  sent  out,  one 
to  Michigan,  and  the  other  to  Canada.  From  Con 
ference  they  started  out  and  crossed  the  "  perpetual 
hills  "  into  New  Hampshire,  where  they  held  Confer 
ence  at  Chester  in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  A 
camp-meeting  was  in  progress  during  the  session  of 
the  Conference,  and  there  was  preaching  three  times 
a  day  by  the  members. 

At  Boston  Asbury  preached  in  the  old  chapel  on 
Sabbath  morning,  and  at  the  new  in  the  evening.  On 
Monday  he  wrote  letters  to  Baltimore,  Georgetown, 


FRANCIS    ASBUKY.  425 

Alexandria,  Norfolk,  and  Charleston,  urging  the 
Churches  in  these  places  to  take  up  collections  in  be 
half  of  the  new  chapel  in  Boston,  which  was  greatly 
embarrassed  with  debt.  Passing  through  Warren, 
Bristol,  and  other  places,  they  came  to  New  London, 
where  for  the  first  time  he  saw  Lee's  History  of  Meth 
odism,  concerning  which  he  writes  :  "  It  is  better  than 
I  expected.  He  has  not  always  presented  me  under 
the  most  favorable  aspect,  but  we  are  all  liable  to 
mistakes.  I  correct  him  in  one  fact.  My  compelled 
seclusion  at  the  beginning  of  the  war,  in  the  state  of 
Delaware,  was  in  no  wise  a  season  of  inactivity.  On 
the  contrary,  except  about  two  months  of  retirement 
from  the  direst  necessity,  it  was  the  most  active,  the 
most  useful,  and  most  afflictive  part  of  my  life.  If  I 
spent  a  few  dumb  Sabbaths ;  if  I  did  not  for  a  short 
time  steal  after  dark,  or  through  the  gloom  of  the 
woods,  as  I  was  accustomed,  from  house  to  house  to 
to  enforce  that  truth  I,  an  only  child,  had  crossed 
the  ocean  to  proclaim,  I  shall  not  be  blamed  I  hope ; 
especially  when  it  is  known  that  my  patron,  the  good 
and  respectable  Thomas  White,  who  promised  me 
security  and  secrecy,  was  himself  taken  into  custody 
by  the  light  horse  patrol ;  and  if  such  things  happened 
to  him  what  might  I,  a  fugitive  and  an  Englishman, 
expect?  In  these  very  years  we  added  eighteen 
hundred  members  to  society,  and  laid  a  broad  and 
deep  foundation  for  the  wonderful  success  Methodism 


426  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

has  met  with  in  that  quarter.  The  children  and  chil- 
drens'  children  of  those  who  witnessed  my  labors  and 
sufferings  in  that  day  of  peril,  now  rise  up  by  hun 
dreds  to  bless  me.  Where  are  the  witnesses  them 
selves  ?  Alas  !  there  remain  not  five  perhaps  whom 
I  could  summon  to  attest  the  truth  of  this  statement." 
From  Connecticut  they  returned  to  New  York, 
where,  after  spending  the  Sabbath,  July  8,  1810. 
they  crossed  the  Hudson  River  and  the  Catskills,  and 
directed  their  course  to  the  Sharon  camp-ineeting. 
While  passing  through  this  route  he  remarked  that 
he  did  not  see  how  the  people  in  the  mountains  could 
be  kept  from  starvation,  were  it  not  for  the  saw-mills 
and  lumber  with  which  they  abound.  From  hence 
they  went  on  through  Cazenovia,  and  attended  the 
session  of  the  Genesee  Conference,  which  was  held  in 
connection  with  a  camp-meeting.  The  formation  of 
this  Conference  Asbury  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
judicious  acts  of  the  episcopacy.  After  Conference 
they  proceeded  to  Geneva,  passing  round  Seneca 
Lake,  where  they  went  through  what  Asbury  calls 
"  an  awful  wilderness."  They  were  now  in  Pennsyl 
vania,  on  the  route  to  Northumberland,  and  as  they 
pursued  their  course  Boehm,  who  was  in  company, 
was  thrown  from  the  sulky,  but  without  injury. 
While  in  the  wilderness  Asbury  describes  the  scene : 
"  Thunder  and  rain,  and  awful  mountains,  deep  roads 
and  swollen  streams."  Crossing  the  Susquehanna  they 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  42? 

stopped  at  Middletown,  where  they  dined  with  a  doc 
tor  by  the  name  of  Homer,  who  had  translated  the 
Discipline  into  the  German  language  for  the  benefit 
of  his  countrymen.  On  Sunday  Asbury  preached 
in  Lancaster,  morning  and  evening.  From  this  place 
they  went  to  Carlisle,  where  he  drew  a  plan  for  a  new 
cliapel,  seventy  by  forty-five  feet,  to  cost  two  thou 
sand  dollars.  The  road  between  Indian  Creek  and 
Connelsville  he  describes  as  very  bad,  and  thus  writes 
about  it :  "I  enter  my  protest,  as  I  have  yearly  for 
forty  years,  against  this  road."  His  next  appoint 
ment  was  a  camp-meeting  near  Brownsville,  where 
three  thousand  people  heard  him  preach.  From 
hence  he  went  to  Barnesville,  Ohio,  and  from  thence 
to  Wills'  Creek  and  Meig's  Creek,  and  on  to  Marietta, 
where  he  preached  to  a  small  congregation.  His 
course  from  this  place  was  across  the  Ohio,  and  up 
the  Little  Kanawha  to  a  camp-meeting,  from  whence 
he  returned  across  the  country  to  Chillicothe. 

While  at  Chillicothe  he  was  requested  by  Governor 
Worthington  to  furnish  an  inscription  for  the  tomb 
stone  of  his  sister,  Mary  Tiffin,  and  he  gave  the  fol 
lowing  :  "  Mary  hath  chosen  that  good  part  which 
shall  not  be  taken  away  from  her."  Luke  x,  42. 
After  a  short  rest  he  journeyed  across  the  country  to 
the  Little  Miami,  and  on  to  Cincinnati,  where  Boehm 
preached  in  German  on  Friday  evening.  On  Sab 
bath  Asbury  preached  to  large  nrd  attentive  eon- 


428  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

gregations.  On  the  morning  of  his  departure  for 
Kentucky  there  was  a  dense  fog.  He  thus  describes 
it:  "The  great  river  was  covered  with  a  mist  until 
nine  o'clock,  when  the  airy  curtain  rose  slowly  from 
the  waters,  gliding  along  in  expanded  and  silent 
majesty."  Passing  through  Kentucky,  where  he 
held  a  Conference,  he  crossed  the  mountains  info 
North  Carolina,  thence  to  South  Carolina,  where,  at 
Columbia,  they  found  a  kind  friend  in  the  person  of 
Mr.  Taylor,  a  member  of  the  United  States  Seriate, 
who  opened  his  house  for  the  session  of  the  Confer 
ence.  On  Sabbath  he  and  M'Kendree  preached. 
About  eighty  preachers  were  present. 

On  the  succeeding  Sabbath  he  preached  at  Lum- 
berton.  His  fatigues  and  exposures  had  wrought 
heavily  upon  him,  and  he  was  quite  unwell.  After 
preaching  he  made  the  following  note :  "  I  preached 
here  possibly  for  the  last  time.  I  spoke  in  great 
weakness  of  body,  and  having  offered  my  service  and 
sacrifice,  I  must  change  my  course  and  go  to  Wil 
mington.  I  am  happy,  my  heart  is  pure,  and  my 
eye  is  single ;  but  I  am  sick  and  weak,  and  in  heavi 
ness  by  reason  of  suffering  and  labor.  Sometimes  I 
am  ready  to  cry  out,  Lord,  take  me  home  to  rest. 
Courage,  my  soul !"  Accordingly  he  directed  his 
course  to  Wilmington,  and  having  fulfilled  his  mis 
sion  in  that  place,  went  to  Raleigh,  where  Conference 
was  held.  On  the  Sabbath  during  Conference  he 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  429 

preached  in  the  State  House  to  two  thousand  people. 
The  next  Sabbath  we  find  him  at  Richmond,  Vir 
ginia.  From  thence  he  returned  to  Maryland,  where, 
after  resting  awhile  at  Perry  Hall,  he  went  to  Phila 
delphia.  At  the  session  of  the  Conference  he  had 
visits  from  Drs.  Rush  and  Physick,  whose  kindness 
and  services  he  acknowledged  with  gratitude. 

At  the  Conference  held  in  New  York,  May,  1811, 
a  great  fire  occurred,  consuming  about  one  hundred 
houses.  Referring  to  New  York  at  this  time,  Asbury 
says :  "  The  Society  has  increased,  our  chapels  are 
neat,  and  their  debt  is  not  heavy ;  they  wish  to  re 
build  John-street  Church,  and  to  build  a  small  house 
at  the  Two-Mile  Stone."  From  New  York  he  went  to 
Sherwood  Yale  and  to  Governor  Cortlandt's,  at  both 
of  which  places  he  preached.  He  then  traveled 
into  Vermont,  and,  visiting  several  places,  crossed 
Lake  Champlain  to  Sable  River,  where  he  preached 
to  a  large  congregation.  From  thence  he  went  to 
Plattsburgh,  and  on  to  the  Indian  Village,  and  across 
the  St.  Lawrence.  In  crossing  the  line  separating 
the  United  States  from  Canada,  he  writes :  "  My 
strong  affection  for  the  people  of  the  United  States 
came  with  strange  power  upon  me  while  I  was  cross 
ing  the  line."  After  visiting  several  places,  and 
preaching,  he  returned  to  the  States,  making  the  fol 
lowing  remarks :  "  Well,  I  have  been  in  Canada,  and 
find  it  like  all  stations  in  the  extremities ;  there  are 


430  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

difficulties  to  be  overcome,  and  prospects  to  cheer  us. 
Some  of  our  laborers  have  not  been  as  faithful  and 
diligent  as  we  could  wish."  On  his  return  he  attend 
ed,  with  M'Kendree,  the  Genesee  Conference,  and 
from  thence  proceeded  to  the  New  York  Conference. 
At  this  Conference  he  says :  "  Some  of  the  wise  men 
of  New  York  Conference  have  discovered  that  it  will 
be  far  better  to  elect  presiding  elders  in  Conference, 
and  give  them  the  power  of  stationing  the  preachers. 
When  the  election  for  General  Conference  came  on, 
there  was  some  disposition  manifested  to  reject  the 
Canadians  and  the  presiding  elders.  If  the  preachers 
take  any  specific  power,  right,  or  privilege  from  the 
bishops,  which  the  General  Conference  may  have 
given  them,  it  is  clear  that  they  dissolve  the  whole 
contract." 

From  Conference  he  traveled  through  Pennsylva 
nia,  taking  the  ordinary  route,  and  directed  his  course 
to  Mad  River,  in  the  interior  of  Ohio.  At  Dayton  he 
preached  in  the  court-house  to  a  thousand  people. 
His  next  route  was  through  Franklin  and  Lebanon, 
where  he  drew  a  plan  for  a  new  brick  church  forty 
by  sixty,  and  thence  to  Cincinnati,  where  Conference 
was  held,  and  where  he  and  M'Kendree  preached  in 
the  chapel  and  market-house. 

His  next  trip  was  through  Kentucky  and  on  to 
Georgia,  where  he  held  Conference  at  Carnden.  Of 
this  Conference  he  says:  "Scarcely  have  I  seen  so 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  431 

much  harmony  and  love.  There  are  eighty-five 
preachers,  and  the  increase  is  three  thousand  three 
hundred  and  eight."  The  next  point  was  Charleston, 
where  he  spent  the  first  day  of  the  year  1812  "in 
meditation,  writing,  and  prayer."  After  preaching 
at  Cumberland  and  Bethel  Chapels  he  started  for 
various  points  in  North  Carolina,  and  then  on  to 
Petersburgh,  Virginia,  where  Conference  was  held. 
From  hence  he  went  to  Maryland  and  held  Confer 
ence  ;  then  another  in  Philadelphia,  from  which  place 
he  directed  his  course  to  New  York,  where  the  Gen 
eral  Conference  was  to  be  held. 

The  above  is  but  the  merest  outline  of  the  bishop's 
labors  in  his  itinerant  journeyings.  Anything  like  a 
detail  would  swell  his  biography  into  almost  as  many 
volumes  as  he  performed  continental  tours.  A  vast 
amount  of  otherwise  interesting  matter  must  neces 
sarily  be  left  untouched  on  account  of  its  sameness ; 
our  object  has  been  to  present  as  far  as  possible 
that  which  is  the  most  interesting  in  a  connected 
whole,  and  yet  sufficiently  full  to  give  the  reader  an 
idea  of  the  great  labor,  and  self-sacrificing  devotion 
of  this  extraordinary  man.  Sweeping  over  a  circuit 
of  thousands  of  miles,  and  attending  conferences, 
camp,  quarterly,  and  other  meetings,  almost  without 
number,  it  would  take  entirely  too  much  space  to 
give  a  detailed  account  of  his  journeyings  and  labors. 


482  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 


CHAPTER  XXL 

General  Conference  in  New  York,  May,  1812  —  Adoption  of  Kules  —  Let 
ter  from  Dr.  Coke  —  Bishop  M'Kendree's  Address  —  Genesee  Confer 
ence  recognized  —  Asbury's  Address  to  the  Conference  —  M'Kendree's 
Eeply  —  Asbury's  Desire  to  return  to  England  —  Collection  of  Materials 
for  a  History  of  the  Church  —  Dr.  Bangs' s  History  —  Division  of  the 
Western  Conference  —  Missionary  Society  —  Subject  of  Slavery — Last 
General  Conference  he  attended  —  Sherwood  Vale  —  Governor  Van 
Cortlandt  —  Illness  —  Conference  at  Albany  —  Conference  at  Lynn  — 
War  declared  —  Secession —  Genesee  Conference  —  West  —  Beauti 
ful  Country  of  the  Wyoming  —  Remarks  on  the  War  —  Judge  Van 
Meter  —  White  Brown's  —  Ohio  Conference  —  Cincinnati  —  Frankfort, 
Kentucky  —  Louisville  —  Labors  in  Nashville  —  Charleston  —  General 
Lee  —  Carried  into  Church  —  Invitation  from  British  Conference  —  Bal 
timore  Conference  —  Philadelphia  —  New  York  Conference  —  M'Ken- 
dree —  Valedictory  Address  to  —  Writes  his  last  Will  —  Remark* 
about  New  England  —  New  York  Conference  —  Tomb  of  Henry  Willis 
— The  poor  Africans  —  Dr.  Hinde  —  Tennessee  Conference  —  Valedic 
tory  Address  to  Presiding  Elders  —  Funeral  Sermon  on  the  Death 
of  Otterbein  —  Sick  at  Perry  Hall  —  John  Wesley  Bond  —  Ohio  Con 
ference  —  Gloomy  Tidings  of  War —  Conference  —  Illness  — Baltimore 

—  Last  Visit  to   Perry  Hall  —  New  York  Conference  —  Preached  the 
Funeral  Sermon  of  Dr.  Coke  —  Tribute  —  Massachusetts  —  Last  Ser 
mon  in  Boston  —  New  York  —  Philadelphia  —  Crosses  the  Mountains 

—  David  Young  —  Chillicothe  —  Eleanor  Worthington  —  Reflections  on 
the  Overthrow  of  Buonaparte  —  Ohio  Conference  —  Bishop  M'Kcndree 

—  Conference  at  Lexington,  Kentucky  —  Funeral  Sermon. 

THE  General  Conference  of  1808  having  provided 
for  a  delegated  General  Conference,  the  Annual  Con 
ferences  accordingly  elected  their  representatives, 
who  convened  in  New  York  on  the  1st  of  May, 
1812.  After  the  appointment  of  several  committees, 
the  adoption  of  rules  for  their  government,  and  the 
settling  of  several  preliminaries,  among  which  was 


FBANCIS    ASBUKY.  433 

one  allowing  all  traveling  preachers  in  full  connection 
who  might  be  present  a  seat  as  visitors,  Bishop  As- 
bury  read  to  the  Conference  a  letter  received  from 
Dr.  Coke.  This  letter  was  full  of  fraternal  affection, 
and  expressed  continued  attachment  to  the  cause  of 
American  Methodism.  It,  however,  communicated 
the  intention  and  design  of  the  doctor  to  go  out  as  a 
missionary  to  India.  After  the  reading  of  this  ad 
dress,  which  we  regret  very  much  has  been  lost,  as  it 
was  the  last  letter  of  Dr.  Coke  to  his  American 
brethren,  Bishop  M'Kendree  presented  the  follow 
ing  address : 
> 

"To  the  General  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episco 
pal  Church,  now  assembled  in  the  city  of  New  York. 

"DEAR  BRETHREN, — My  relation  to  you  and  the 
connection  in  general  seems,  in  my  opinion,  to  make 
it  necessary  that  I  should  address  you  in  some  way, 
by  which  you  may  get  possession  of  some  informa 
tion  perhaps  not  otherwise  to  be  obtained  by  many 
of  you. 

"  It  is  now  four  years  since,  by  your  appointment, 
it  became  my  duty  jointly  to  superintend  our  exten 
sive  and  very  important  charge.  With  anxious 
solicitude  and  good  wishes  I  have  looked  forward  to 
this  General  Conference.  The  appointed  time  is 
come,  and  the  Lord  has  graciously  permitted  us  to 
meet  according  to  appointment,  for  which  I  hope 

28 


434  LIFE   AND   TIMES    OF 

we  are  prepared  jointly  to  praise  and  adore  his 
goodness. 

"  Upon  examination,  you  will  find  the  work  of  the 
Lord  is  prospering  in  our  hands.  Our  important 
charge  has  greatly  increased  since  the  last  General 
Conference ;  we  have  had  an  increase  of  nearly  forty 
thousand  members.  At  present  we  have  about  one 
hundred  and  ninety  thousand  members,  upward  of 
two  thousand  local,  and  about  seven  hundred  travel 
ing  preachers  in  our  connection,  and  these  widely 
scattered  over  seventeen  states,  besides  the  Canadas 
and  several  of  the  territorial  settlements. 

"Thus  situated,  it  must  be  expected,  in  the  present 
state  of  things,  that  the  counsel  and  direction  of  your 
united  wisdom  will  be  necessary  to  preserve  the  har 
mony  and  peace  of  the  body,  as  well  as  co-operation 
of  the  traveling  and  local  ministry,  in  carrying  on  the 
blessed  work  of  reformation  which  the  Lord  has  been 
pleased  to  effect  through  our  instrumentality.  To 
deserve  the  confidence  of  the  local  ministry  and 
membership,  as  well  as  to  retain  confidence  in  our 
selves  and  in  each  other,  is  undoubtedly  our  duty ; 
and  if  we  consider  that  those  who  are  to  confide  in 
us  are  a  collection  from  all  classes  and  descriptions, 
from  all  countries  of  which  the  nation  is  composed, 
promiscuously  scattered  over  this  vast  continent, 
men  who  were  originally  of  different  educations, 
manners,  habits,  and  opinions,  we  shall  see  the 


FRANCIS    ASBUKY.  435 

difficulty  as  well  as  the  importance  of  this  part  of  our 
charge. 

"In  order  to  enjoy  the  comforts  of  peace  and  union 
among  us,  we  must  'love  one  another;'  but  this  can 
not   abide   where    confidence    does    not   exist;    and 
purity  of  intention,  manifested  by  proper  actions,  is 
the  very  foundation  and  support  of  confidence ;  thus 
'  united,  we  stand ;'  each  member  is  a  support  to  the 
body,  and  the  body  supports  each  member ;  but  if 
confidence  fails,  love  will  grow  cold,  peace  will  be 
broken,  and  <  divided,  we  fall.'     It  therefore  becomes 
this   body,  which,  by  its   example,   is  to   move  the 
passions  and  direct  the  course  of  thousands  of  minis 
ters,  and  tens  of  thousands  of  members,  to  pay  strict 
attention  to  the  simplicity  of  Gospel  manners,  and  to 
do  everything  as  in  the  immediate  presence  of  God. 
If  we  consider  the  nature  of  our  business,  and  the  in 
fluence  of  civil  governments,  and  political  measures, 
it  will  hardly  be  expected  that  every  individual  in  so 
large  a  body  as  you  form   will  continually  be  suffi 
ciently  and    strictly   evangelical   in   all   cases;  it  is 
therefore  hoped  in  cases  of  failure,  that  the  wisdom 
and  firmness  of  your  united  prudence  as  a  body  will 
counteract  evil  eifects  by  a  well-ordered  and  prudent 
disapprobation  and    better   example.      Church   and 
state  should  never  be  assimilated. 

"  Connected  as  I  am  with  you  and  the  connection 
in  general,  I  feel  it  a  part  of  iny  duty  to  submit  to 


436  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

your  consideration  the  appointment  of  the  Genesee 
Conference ;  and  perhaps  it  may  be  for  the  general 
good  if  in  your  wisdom  you  should  think  proper  to 
take  into  consideration  a  division  of  the  work  in  the 
western  country,  and  a  proper  arrangement  of  the 
work  in  general ;  and  the  magnitude  and  extent  of 
the  work  which  the  Lord  has  graciously  pleased  to 
prosper  in  our  hands,  may  make  it  proper  for  you  to 
inquire  if  the  work  is  sufficiently  within  the  oversight 
of  the  superintendency,  and  to  make  such  arrange 
ments  and  provision  as  your  wisdom  may  approve. 
I  would  also  suggest  the  necessity  of  keeping  in  view 
not  only  the  traveling,  but  the  relation  and  situation 
of  our  local  brethren,  and  to  pursue  that  plan  which 
may  render  the  whole  the  most  useful ;  and  it  may 
also  be  proper  to  bring  into  view  any  unfinished 
business  (if  any)  which  we  had  under  consideration  at 
our  last  General  Conference.  Hitherto,  as  a  body, 
we  have  been  preserved  by  our  well-digested  system 
of  rules,  which  are  as  sinews  to  the  body,  and  form 
the  bonds  of  our  union.  But  it  is  evident,  both  from 
Scripture  and  experience,  that  men,  even  good  men, 
may  depart  from  first  principles  and  the  best  of  rules ; 
it  may  therefore  be  proper  for  you  to  pay  some  at 
tention  to  the  administration,  to  know  the  state  both 
of  the  traveling  and  local  ministry,  as  it  relates  to 
doctrine,  discipline,  and  practice. 

"  Before  I  conclude,  permit  me,  my  dear  brethren, 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  437 

to  express  a  few  thoughts  concerning  the  view  I  have 
of  the  relation  in  which  I  stand  connected  with  this 
body.  It  is  only  by  virtue  of  a  delegated  power  from 
the  General  Conference  that  I  hold  the  reins  of  gov 
ernment.  I  consider  myself  bound  by  virtue  of  the 
same  authority  to  exercise  discipline  in  perfect  con 
formity  to  the  rules  of  the  Church,  to  the  best  of  my 
ability  and  judgment.  I  consider  myself  justly  ac 
countable,  not  for  the  system  of  government,  but  for 
my  administration,  and  ought,  therefore,  to  be  ready 
to  answer  in  General  Conference  for  past  conduct, 
and  be  willing  to  receive  information  and  advice,  to 
perfect  future  operations,  and  I  wish  my  brethren  to 
feel  themselves  perfectly  easy  and  at  liberty. 

"  I  shall  take  the  liberty  here  to  present  my  grate 
ful  acknowledgments  for  the  high  degree  of  confi 
dence  which  my  beloved  brethren  have  placed  in  me, 
and  especially  for  the  able  counsel  and  seasonable 
support  afforded  by  many,  which  has,  I  believe,  with 
the  Divine  aid,  preserved  and  supported  me.  Dear 
brethren,  such  are  the  effects  of  our  high  responsibil 
ity,  connected  with  a  consciousness  of  the  insuffi 
ciency  of  my  talents  for  so  great  a  work,  that  I  move 
with  trembling.  Your  eyes  and  the  eyes  of  the  Lord 
are  upon  me  for  good.  We  shall  rejoice  together  to 
see  the  armies  of  Israel  wisely  conducted  in  all  their 
ranks,  carrying  the  triumphs  of  the  Redeemer's 
kingdom  to  the  ends  of  the  earth ;  and  the  Lord  will 


438  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

rejoice  to  make  his  ministers  a  flame  of  fire.  In  you 
I  have  confidence,  and  on  you  I  depend  for  aid,  and 
above  all,  I  trust  in  Divine  aid.  Influenced  by  these 
considerations,  and  with  my  situation  in  full  view,  I 
cannot  entertain  a  thought  of  bearing  such  awful  ac 
countability  longer  than  I  am  persuaded  my  services 
are  useful  to  the  Church  of  God,  and  feel  a  confi 
dence  of  being  aided  by  your  counsel  and  support, 
which  is  with  you  to  give  in  any  way  or  form  you 
judge  proper.  And  while  I  join  with  you,  my  dear 
brethren,  in  pure  Gospel  simplicity,  to  commit  and 
recommend  ourselves  and  our  several  charges  to  the 
special  care  of  the  great  Head  of  the  Church,  I  re 
main,  with  sentiments  of  love  and  confidence,  your 
servant  in  the  Gospel  of  Christ." 

Several  parts  of  this  address  were  referred  to  select 
committees,  with  instructions  to  report  upon  them  at 
a  subsequent  day.  The  Genesee  Conference,  which 
had  been  constituted  during  the  interim  of  the  Gen 
eral  Conference,  was  recognized  as  properly  and 
legally  organized. 

At  the  opening  of  the  morning  session,  on  the  8th 
of  May,  Bishop  Asbury  rose  and  addressed  the  Con 
ference  through  Bishop  M'Kendree.  In  his  address 
he  gave  a  succinct  and  interesting  narrative  of  the 
rise,  progress,  and  present  state  of  Methodism  in 
America,  and  intimated,  as  with  prophetic  ken,  its 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  439 

glorious  future.  His  address  was  truly  inspiring,  and 
was  received  with  every  demonstration  of  gratifica 
tion  by  the  ninety  representatives  present.  When  he 
concluded  Bishop  M'Kendree  rose  and  replied,  thank 
ing  him,  in  behalf  of  the  delegates  assembled,  and  of 
the  Church  in  general,  for  his  address,  and  for  the 
fatherly  care  with  which  he  had  watched  over  the 
interests  of  Methodism  from  the  beginning. 

The  various  matters  pertaining  to  the  interests  of 
the  Church  embraced  in  the  address  of  Asbury  were 
referred  to  select  committees.  The  bishop  expressed 
a  desire  to  visit  his  native  land,  and  gaze  once  more 
upon  the  scenes  of  his  youth  and  early  labors ;  but  as 
the  Conference  had  decided  not  to  increase  the  num 
ber  of  bishops,  the  committee  on  the  episcopacy  pre 
sented  the  following :  "  It  is  our  sincere  desire  and 
request  that  Bishop  Asbury  would  relinquish  his 
thoughts  of  visiting  Europe,  and  confine  his  labors  to 
the  American  connection  so  long  as  God  may  preserve 
his  life."  The  Conference  unanimously  concurred  in 
the  above  resolution,  and  Asbury,  regarding  the 
voice  of  the  Church  as  indicative  of  an  order  of 
Providence,  cheerfully  acquiesced  in  its  decision. 

The  General  Conference  of  1808  having  been  im 
pressed  with  the  importance  of  the  collection  of  reli 
able  material  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  a  com 
plete  history  of  the  Church,  suggested  the  propriety 
of  each  Annual  Conference  attending  to  this  matter, 


440  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

by  collecting  such  historic  facts  and  incidents  as 
might  come  within  their  reach.  Accordingly  several 
historical  letters  were  presented  and  referred  to  a 
committee  consisting  of  Nathan  Bangs,  Thomas  L. 
Douglass,  and  Learner  Blackmail.  This  was  an  im 
portant  movement,  and  we  doubt  not  that  this  action 
led  the  chairman  of  that  committee  to  devote  more 
specific  attention  to  the  subject  than  he  would  other 
wise  have  done,  and  we  rejoice,  in  common  with  the 
great  Methodist  family,  that  it  resulted  in  a  clear, 
concise,  and  comprehensive  history  of  the  Church 
from  his  pen.  We  think  it  proper  to  remark  in  this 
connection,  that  the  History  of  the  Methodist  Episco 
pal  Church,  by  Dr.  Bangs,  is  worthy  of  the  name, 
and  justly  deserves  the  wide  and  well-earned  repu 
tation  which  it  has  obtained  both  in  this  country  and 
in  Europe.  If  the  old  definition  of  history  has  not 
become  obsolete,  which  makes  it  to  consist  in  the 
simple  unadorned  narration  of  facts  and  events,  then 
does  this  work  come  up  most  fully  to  all  the  require 
ments  of  that  standard.  The  highest  philosophy 
connected  with  history  is  that  which  makes  it  speak 
by  the  truthful  examples  it  furnishes. 

The  work  having  increased  to  such  an  extent  in  the 
West  and  South,  the  bishops  united  in  recommending 
the  General  Conference  to  divide  the  Western  Con 
ference  into  two,  to  be  called  the  Ohio  and  Tennes 
see  Conferences,  the  former  to  comprehend  the  Salt 


FKANCIS    ASBURY.  441 

River,  Kentucky,  Miami,  and  Muskingum  Districts, 
and  the  latter  to  embrace  the  Holston,  Nashville, 
Cumberland,  "Wabash,  and  Illinois  Districts.  Acting 
on  this  recommendation  the  division  was  made,  and 
the  bishops  were  empowered,  should  they  deem  it 
necessary,  with  the  concurrence  of  the  Annual  Con 
ferences  concerned,  to  organize  another  Conference 
farther  South. 

As  yet  the  Church  had  no  missionary  society.  It 
was,  indeed,  itself  missionary  in  all  its  operations ;  but 
no  specific  regulations  had  been  adopted  for  the 
raising  of  missionary  funds,  apart  from  the  efforts  of 
Asbury,  who  carried  his  little  blank-book  in  his 
pocket,  and  solicited  subscriptions  wherever  he  went. 
We  have  been  greatly  interested  in  looking  over  one 
of  these  missionary  subscription  books.  It  contains 
long  lists  of  names,  from  the  east,  west,  north,  and 
south,  of  members  of  the  Church,  and  others  friendly 
to  Methodism.  Among  these  we  have  the  autographs 
of  many  preachers,  some  of  whom  are  still  living  ;  but 
the  great  majority  have  passed  away,  and  joined  the 
sainted  Asbury  in  the  better  land. 

That  ever  fruitful  theme  of  discussion  and  excite 
ment,  the  subject  of  slavery,  was  again  brought  be 
fore  the  General  Conference,  by  a  motion  suggesting 
an  inquiry  into  the  nature  and  moral  tendency  of 
the  system.  It  was  considered,  however,  in  the  judg 
ment  of  the  Conference,  that  no  further  action  was 


442  LIFE    A^D    TIMES    OF 

necessary  or  desirable,  and  the  motion  was  accord 
ingly  laid  on  the  table  without  debate.  In  alluding 
to  this  Conference,  Asbury  says,  in  his  Journal : 
"  There  were  many  and  weighty  affairs  discussed, 
among  which  was  a  motion  to  strengthen  the  episco 
pacy.  After  a  serious  struggle  of  two  daj^s,  to  change 
the  mode  of  appointing  presiding  elders,  it  remains 
as  it  was.  Means  had  been  used  to  keep  back  every 
presiding  elder  who  was  known  to  be  favorable  to 
their  appointment  by  the  bishops,  and  long  and  earn 
est  speeches  have  been  made  to  influence  the  minds 
of  the  members.  Lee,  Shinn,  and  Snethen  were  of 
a  side,  and  these  are  great  men." 

This  was  the  last  General  Conference  which  Asbury 
attended.  He  had  seen  Methodism  in  its  infancy  in 
America,  and  like  a  father  had  watched  over  its  de 
velopment  until  it  had  arisen  to  vigorous  manhood. 
He  saw  the  Church  as  she  extended  her  conquests  and 
influence  from  the  cold  provinces  of  Canada  to  the 
sunny  savannas  of  Georgia,  and  from  the  shores  of  the 
Atlantic  to  the  "father  of  waters"  in  the  distant  West. 
He  had  held  forth  to  listening  thousands  in  crowded 
cities,  and  at  great  camp-meetings  in  the  wilderness, 
and  had  preached  to  little  flocks  in  solitary  log-cabins, 
always  and  everywhere  the  same  affectionate  and  inde 
fatigable  servant  of  the  Church.  In  alluding  further  to 
this  General  Conference,  he  said  he  "saw  nothing  like 
unkindness  but  once,  and  there  were  many  weighty 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  443 

affairs  discussed.  A  subject  before  it  was  the  ques 
tion,  If  local  deacons,  after  four  years  of  probation, 
should  be  elected  to  the  eldership  by  two-thirds  of  the 
Conference,  having  no  slaves,  and  having  them,  to 
manumit  them  where  the  laws  will  allow  it, 
shall  they  be  ordained?  This  passed  by  a  large 
majority." 

After  the  session  was  ended  the  bishop  left  New 
York  for  "  Sherwood  Yale,"  where,  as  usual,  he  en 
joyed  the  hospitalities  of  his  old  friends.  From 
hence  he  went  to  Croton,  to  visit  his  friend,  Gov 
ernor  Yan  Cortlandt,  whom  he  called  the  elder  of 
ninety.  While  in  this  neighborhood  he  preached  at 
White  Plains.  From  hence  he  went,  in  company 
with  his  old  friend  Boehm,  to  Peekskill  and  Rhine- 
beck,  on  the  Hudson.  He  was  now  suffering  from 
illness,  and  at  times  had  high  fevers.  A  sickness 
that  would  have  laid  up  most  men  was  endured 
by  this  astonishing  man  in  the  very  midst  of  heavy 
labors  and  long  rides.  At  Albany  he  met  the  Con 
ference,  and  with  unremitting  attention  transacted 
all  the  episcopal  business.  The  Dutch  Reformed 
Synod  was  in  session  at  the  same  time.  During  his 
stay  he  preached  on  the  site  which  had  been  selected 
for  a  new  church. 

From  this  place  he  passed  on  through  Connecticut 
and  arrived  at  Lynn,  where  the  ISTew  England  Con 
ference  held  its  session.  Here  he  read  the  proclama- 


444  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

tion  of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  declaring 
war  between  this  country  and  Great  Britain.  The 
church  in  Lynn,  which  had  a  steeple,  excited  the 
regret  of  Asbury  on  that  account,  and  he  admonished 
the  Methodists  in  relation  to  some  things  which  he 
regarded  as  extravagances,  and  a  departure  from 
that  primitive  simplicity  which  he  fondly  hoped 
would  ever  characterize  the  Church.  At  Pittsfield 
he  was  grieved  at  hearing  of  a  division  of  the 
Church,  and  a  secession  therefrom  of  three  hundred 
and  eighty.  From  this  place  he  visited  Lansingburg 
and  Troy,  and  from  thence  went  to  Lyons,  the  place 
of  the  session  of  the  Genesee  Conference.  There 
were  thirty  preachers  present,  and  the  business  of  the 
Conference  was  conducted  with  great  concord.  He 
was  deterred  on  account  of  the  war  from  visiting  the 
frontier  work  on  the  Niagara,  a  thing  which  he 
greatly  desired  to  do.  From  hence  he  directed  his 
course  to  Pennsylvania.  On  his  route,  as  was  often 
the  case,  he  was  obliged  to  stop  at  a  public  house. 
The  entertainment  he  received,  we  may  judge  from 
his  Journal,  was  not  of  a  very  agreeable  character. 
He  says :  "  Farewell  to  Merwines ;  I  lodge  no  more 
there  ;  a  whisky  hell,  as  most  of  the  taverns  are." 

In  crossing  the  Lehigh  he  was  led  to  express 
his  admiration  of  the  beautiful  country  of  the 
Wyoming.  In  speaking  of  the  Germans  he  says : 
"They  are  decent  in  their  behavior,  and  would  be 


FKANCIS    ASBURY.  445 

more  so  were  it  not  for  vile  whisky,  which  is  the 
prime  curse  of  the  United  States,  and  which,  I  fear, 
will  prove  the  ruin  of  all  that  is  excellent  in  morals 
and  government."     In  regard  to  the  war  which  was 
then  raging,  he  remarks :  "  I  feel  a  deep  concern  for 
the  Old  and  New  World.     Calamity  and  suffering 
are  coming  upon  them  both.     I  shall  make  but  few 
remarks  on  this   unhappy  subject,  as  it  is  one  on 
which  the  prudent  will  be  silent,  but  I  must  needs 
say  it  is  an  evil  day.     I  have  written  many  letters  of 
serious  warning  to  our  elders."     His  next  stopping 
place  was  a  camp-meeting  on  Pipe  Creek,  Maryland. 
This  was  a  large  encampment,  having   a   hundred 
tents,  and  a  congregation  of  five  thousand.     During 
this  meeting  he  labored  incessantly  night  and  day, 
sleeping  but  about  two  hours  out  of  the  twenty-four. 
From  this  meeting  he  crossed  the  south  mountain 
and  preached  to  large  congregations  in  Cumberland. 
In   crossing   the   mountain    he   says :    "  We    had   a 
strange  medley  of  preachers,  drovers,  beasts  on  four 
legs,  and  beasts  made  by  whisky  on  two,  traveling 
on  the  turnpike  at  the  same  time."    Having  descend 
ed  the  western  slope  of  the  Alleghanies,  he  urged  his 
way  to  another  camp-meeting,  where  he  preached  on 
Friday  and  Saturday.    The  ministry,  which  had  been 
carefully  instructed  to  preach  to  the  soldiers,  were 
not  faithless  on  this  occasion. 

The  commanding  officer  of  a  large  company  of  sol- 


446  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

diers,  on  the  eve  of  starting  for  Buffalo,  sent  a  note  to 
the  clergy  on  the  camp-ground,  requesting  that  the 
soldiers  might  be  addressed  by  one  of  the  ministers 
previous  to  their  marching.  Bishop  Asbury,  who 
was  present,  had  an  answer  communicated,  inform 
ing  the  commander  that  his  request  should  be  com 
plied  with.  Accordingly,  the  officers  and  men 
marched  out  in  rank  and  file  to  the  encampment, 
where  they  were  met  and  conducted  to  seats  pre 
pared  for  them.  The  bishop  gave  out  the  hymn, 

"Soldiers  of  Christ  arise, 
And  put  your  armor  on." 

He  then  addressed  the  throne  of  grace,  and  prayed 
most  fervently  for  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
the  Cabinet,  the  Senate,  and  House  of  Kepresenta- 
tives.  His  text  was,  "And  the  soldiers  likewise  de 
manded  of  him  saying,  And  what  shall  we  do?  And 
he  said  unto  them,  Do  violence  to  no  man,  neither 
accuse  any  falsely,  and  be  content  with  your  wages." 
Luke  iii,  14.  In  his  discourse  he  dwelt  impressively 
on  the  evils  of  war,  its  destructive  influence  upon 
commerce,  the  arts  of  life,  and  the  wealth  of  nations, 
but  more  particularly  its  pernicious  effects  in  relation 
to  religion  and  morals.  He  showed  that  war  should, 
if  possible,  be  avoided,  and  it  never  should  be  de 
clared  only  as  a  dernier  resort.  If  Christian  nations 
should  be  embroiled  in  war,  they  should  only  act  on 


FRANCIS    ASBTJKY.  447 

the  defensive.  He  also  enlarged  upon  the  import 
ance  of  good  discipline  in  an  army,  and. .showed  that 
the  government  or  military  discipline  could  at  the 
same  time  be  strict  and  mild,  and  that  the  officers 
should  be  kind  and  generous  to  their  men.  In  a 
word,  he  said  that  the  commanding  officer  should  be 
as  a  father  to  his  soldiers,  and  they  should  in  turn  be 
obedient  to  all  his  military  commands.  He  concluded 
by  giving  a  fatherly  advice  to  the  soldiers.  After 
his  discourse  he  descended,  and  took  a  position  where 
the  company  passed  in  review  before  him.  As  the 
commanding  officer  approached  he  placed  his  hands 
upon  his  head  and  prayed  for  him  most  fervently, 
blessing  him  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  ;  then  each  of 
the  officers;  and  as  the  soldiers  passed  he  took  each 
one  by  the  hand  and  gave  them  a  parting  blessing. 
Tears  flowed  from  every  eye  of  the  thousands 
gathered  there. 

His  next  point  was  a  camp-meeting  on  Indian 
Short  Creek,  where  he  found  nearly  a  hundred  tents, 
and  thousands  of  people  congregated  from  the  sur 
rounding  country.  This  meeting  was  attended  with 
unusual  interest,  and  a  large  number  of  converts 
were  added  to  the  Church.  His  route  from  this 
was  through  Barnesville,  and  thence  on  to  the  Wills' 
Creek  neighborhood,  and  thence  to  Zanesville,  where, 
sick  and  weary,  he  found  rest  in  the  hospitable  man 
sion  of  Christian  Spangler,  Esq.,  one  of  the  early  and 


448  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

fast  friends  of  Methodism  in  Ohio.  Having  recov 
ered  and  recruited,  he  started  out  to  another  camp- 
meeting,  on  Rush  Creek.  This  also  was  a  powerful 
meeting,  and  was  kept  up  day  and  night,  resulting  in 
great  good.  From  hence  he  passed  through  Lancas 
ter,  and  on  to  Chillicothe,  where  he  visited  Judge 
Yan  Meter  and  White  Brown.  While  here  he  held 
the  Ohio  Conference,  where  he  labored  hard,  but  was 
much  assisted  by  the  elders  in  the  stationing  of  the 
preachers.  In  a  computation  which  he  makes  of  his 
travels,  he  says  he  had  journeyed  six  thousand  miles 
in  eight  months,  had  met  nine  Conferences,  and  at 
tended  ten  camp-meetings.  The  records  of  itiner 
ancy  nowhere  in  the  world  can  furnish  such  an 
example  of  travel  and  toil. 

In  his  visit  to  Cincinnati  he  was  somewhat  de 
pressed  in  spirits  at  finding  the  Church  low  in  relig 
ion.  Kobler,  Hunt,  Bowman,  Burke,  and  Collins 
had  introduced  Methodism  into  Cincinnati  several 
years  before.  The  first  Methodist  Church  was  erect 
ed  in  the  year  1806,  and  was  now  undergoing  an  en 
largement.  Passing  over  into  Kentucky  he  directed 
his  course  to  Frankfort,  the  capital  of  the  state,  where 
he  preached  in  the  hall  of  the  House  of  Eepresenta- 
tives.  From  this  place  he  went  to  Louisville,  situated 
at  the  falls  of  the  Ohio,  where  he  preached,  and  from 
thence  entered  the  interior  and  passed  on  to  Nash 
ville,  Tennessee.  On  Sabbath,  November  llth,  he 


FRANCIS    ASSURE  449 

preached  in  the  new  brick  church,  which  he  describes 
as  being  thirty-four  feet  square  with  galleries.  Re 
ferring  to  his  former  labors  here,  he  says :  "  Twelve 
years  ago  I  preached  in  the  old  stone-house,  taken 
down  since  to  make  a  site  for  the  state-house.  The 
latter  house  exceeds  the  former  in  glory,  and  stands 
exactly  where  our  house  of  worship  should  by  right 
have  stood,  but  we  bear  all  things  patiently."  Con 
ference  was  held  this  year  at  Gwin's,  and  there  were 
present  a  large  number  of  preachers.  Forty  were 
ordained  to  the  office  of  deacon,  and  ten  to  the  office 
of  elder.  The  increase  in  the  bounds  of  the  Confer 
ence  during  the  year  was  eight  thousand. 

His  route  after  this  lay  through  North  and  South 
Carolina.  At  Columbia  lie  preached  in  the  House 
of  Representatives.  His  next  point  was  Charleston, 
where  Conference  was  held.  He  speaks  of  the  har 
mony  which  subsisted  between  the  presiding  elders 
and  the  episcopacy  with  evident  satisfaction.  The 
increase  during  the  year  in  the  bounds  of  the  Con 
ference  was  eighteen  thousand.  The  bishop  lamented 
the  loss  of  fourteen  itinerants  by  location.  His  route 
from  Charleston  was  to  Georgetown,  and  thus  on 
through  the  Peedee  settlements.  At  the  residence 
of  General  Lee  he  was  quite  unwell,  but  he  rested 
not.  At  Fayetteville  he  had  to  be  carried  into 
church,  and,  notwithstanding  his  illness,  preached 
to  the  congregation  assembled.  From  the  meeting 

29 


450  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

he  went  home  to  Mr.  Russell's,  and  was  thoroughly 
blistered  for  a  high  fever.  In  two  days  we  find  him 
on  the  route  of  travel  again,  and  though  he  had  a 
fever  he  rode  through  a  bitter  cold  thirty  miles, 
and  the  next  day  thirty-six,  which  brought  him  to 
Wilmington,  North  Carolina,  where  he  was  again 
carried  into  church,  that  he  might  minister  the 
word  of  life.  With  fever  and  swelled  feet  he  start 
ed  out  from  this  place,  holding  meetings  on  his 
way,  to  Newbern,  the  seat  of  the  Conference, 
which  was  held,  as  he  says,  in  Sister  Tenkard's 
elegant  school-room.  This  Conference  was  char 
acterized  by  "  great  order,  great  union,  and  great 
dispatch  of  business."  Passing  through  Halifax, 
Petersburgh,  and  Richmond,  preaching  at  these  and 
intermediate  points,  he  arrived  at  Georgetown,  Dis 
trict  of  Columbia.  While  here  he  received  an  invi 
tation  from  the  British  Conference,  requesting  him 
to  visit  that  body,  and  engaging  to  pay  all  the  ex 
penses  of  the  journey. 

At  Baltimore  he  held  Conference,  which  was 
opened  April  24,  1813.  The  Conference  was  com 
posed  of  ninety  preachers;  the  number  of  white 
members  was  twenty  thousand  two  hundred  and 
seventy-two,  and  of  colored  members  seven  hundred 
and  ninety-nine.  Again  we  find  him,  after  the  ses 
sion  of  the  Conference,  at  his  much-loved  home,  Perry 
Hall.  From  hence  he  passed  through  Delaware,  and 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  451 

attended  the  Conference  in  Philadelphia.  While 
here  he  preached  at  the  Academy,  St.  George's,  Eb- 
enezer,  and  the  Tabernacle.  His  next  point  was 
Burlington,  New  Jersey.  It  seemed  to  be  a  doubt 
in  the  mind  of  the  bishop  whether  Burlington  or  Tren 
ton  would  ever  become  famous  for  vital  religion. 
Preaching  at  Lumberton,  Allentown,  Eahway,  and 
Belleville,  he  went  to  Sherwood's,  New  York,  and 
from  thence  on  to  Amenia,  where  the  Conference 
was  held.  It  was  a  time  of  order  and  peace,  though 
the  bishop  pleasantly  said,  "  King  Gordius  had  well 
nigh  been  among  us,  but  the  knots  were  untied 
peaceably,  and'  not  cut  in  rashness."  Speaking  of  his 
colleague's  sermon  on  Sabbath,  he  remarked :  "  Bishop 
M'Kendree  preached.  It  appeared  to  me  as  if  a  ray 
of  Divine  glory  rested  on  him.  His  subject  was, 
1  Great  peace  have  they  that  love  thy  law,  and  noth 
ing  shall  offend  them."  Before  announcing  the  ap 
pointments  of  the  preachers  Asbury  delivered  a  val 
edictory  address,  in  which  he  assured  them  that  the 
plan  of  their  future  labors  was  deliberately  formed 
with  the  aid  of  the  collected  wisdom  of  judicious 
counsel  and  much  prayer. 

The  Eastern  route  now  lay  before  him,  and  taking 
up  the  line  of  travel  he  crossed  over  Connecticut, 
New  Hampshire,  and  Massachusetts.  At  Winches 
ter  he  wrote  his  last  will  and  testament,  making 
M'Kendree,  Hitt,  and  Boehm  his  executors.  "While 


452  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

in  New  England  he  remarked:  "I  believe  for  one 
that  there  has  been  more  true  Gospel  preaching  in 
the  other  states  than  in  the  five  New  England  states, 
with  all  their  boasting.  I  have  difficulties  to  en 
counter,  but  I  must  be  silent.  In  New  England  we 
sing,  we  build  houses,  we  eat,  and  stand  at  prayer. 
Were  I  to  labor  forty  years  more  I  suppose  I  should 
not  succeed  in  getting  things  right.  O  rare  steeple 
houses,  bells !  (organs  by  and  by  ?)  these  things  are 
against  me,  and  contrary  to  the  simplicity  of  Christ." 
At  the  session  of  the  Conference  at  Colchester,  a 
resolution  was  passed  against  steeples  and  pews. 

At  Providence  he  was  introduced  to  Governor 
Jones,  who  received  him  with  great  cordiality. 
From  the  East  he  returned  to  New  York.  Conference 
was  held  at  Westmoreland.  In  his  journey  to  this 
place  he  complained  of  hunger  and  heat,  and  re 
marked  that  the  East  was  not  hospitable.  Maryland 
or  the  South  was  to  him  the  land  of  hospitality.  A 
large  concourse  of  people  was  assembled  at  the  Con 
ference,  and  thousands  were  preached  to  by  the 
bishops  and  preachers.  From  hence  he  started  for 
the  West,  and  while  among  the  mountains  he  found 
a  stopping  place  at  a  German  Lutheran's,  whose 
son  was  a  preacher,  but  refused  to  read  or  pray  in 
the  family.  "  Alas,"  said  Asbury,  "  so  stupid  and 
so  wicked !  I  would  rather  be  a  slave  in  South  Caro 
lina  with  the  Gospel  and  a  good  master !" 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  453 

While  here  he  prepared  a  valedictory  address  to 
Bishop  M'Kendree,  who  in  conjunction  with  the  Gen- 
esee  Conference  had  requested  him  to  give  his  opin 
ion  in  relation  to  the  government  and  usages  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  The  address  is  quite 
lengthy,  and  enters  elaborately  into  a  discussion  of 
the  Churcli  dogma  of  apostolical  succession.  As  it 
never  has  been  published,  we  shall  make  such  ex 
tracts  from  it  as  are  considered  most  important,  and 
possessing  the  greatest  interest  at  the  present  day. 
Some  of  the  views  entertained  by  the  bishop  would 
doubtless  have  been  modified  had  he  lived  to  witness 
the  progress  of  the  Church  and  the  country.  They 
were,  however,  wisely  adapted  to  his  day,  and  will 
serve  to  show  how  narrowly  he  watched  over  all  the 
interests  of  his  beloved  Methodism.  In  regard  to  the 
episcopacy  and  its  duties,  he  says:  "My  desire  is 
that  there  may  be  four  effective  bishops  traveling,  as 
from  the  beginning,  through  the  whole  continent, 
one  to  preside  alternately  in  all  the  Conferences,  (not 
to  change  presidents  during  the  sitting  of  the  same 
Conference,  unless  in  cases  of  indisposition,)  the 
other  two  or  three  to  plan  the  stations  and  per 
form  ordinations,  assisted  by  the  elders  in  both 
branches.  The  plan  of  stations  should  be  submitted 
to  the  president,  time  enough  for  him  to  give  a  final 
decision  before  the  appointments  are  read  to  the 
preachers. 


454  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

"I  would  particularly  warn  you  to  guard  against 
the  growing  evil  of  locality  in  bishops,  elders,  and 
preachers,  or  Conferences.  Locality  is  essential  to 
towns  and  cities,  traveling  is  as  essential  to  the  coun- 

?  O 

try.  Were  I  to  name  cities,  such  as  Jerusalem,  An- 
tioch,  Rome,  and  all  the  great  cities  both  ancient 
and  modern,  what  havoc  have  these  made  in  the 
Churches  ?  Alas  for  us !  out  of  seven  hundred 
preachers  we  have  about  one  hundred  located  in 
towns  and  cities  and  small  circuits,  and  in  some 
week-day  preaching  nearly  abandoned. 

"  Guard  against  two  orders  of  preachers,  one  for  the 
country  and  the  other  for  the  cities.  The  latter  gen 
erally  settle  themselves  to  purchase  ministers,  and 
men  of  gifts -and  learning  too  often  set  themselves  to 
sale.  I  am  bold  to  say  that  the  apostolic  order  of 
things  was  lost  in  the  first  century ;  and  since  that 
time  Church  government  may  be  compared  to  the 
rolling  of  a  snow-ball,  gathering  much  filth  of  various 
kinds.  At  the  time  of  the  Reformation,  the  reform 
ers  beat  off  only  part  of  the  dirt;  and  for  many  cen 
turies  more  filth  has  been  rolled  on  to  an  enormous 
size. 

"  In  the  eighteenth  century  John  Wesley  formed  an 
evangelical  society  in  England.  At  the  first  General 
Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  held 
in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  in  1784,  an  apostolical 
form  of  Church  government  and  order  was  formed  in 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  455 

America.  You  know  that  the  present  ministerial 
cant  is,  we  cannot  now,  as  in  former  apostolic  days, 
have  such  doctrines,  such  discipline,  such  convictions, 
such  conversions,  such  witnesses  of  sanctification,  and 
such  holy  men.  But  I  say  we  can,  I  say  we  must, 
yea,  I  say  we  have  in  part ;  and  can  men  claim  the 
rights  and  privileges  of  apostles  if  they  are  impostors 
and  not  true  ministers?  Thus,  instead  of  going  to 
preach  they  stay  to  preach.  Hence  schools,  col 
leges,  and  universities  are  resorted  to  in  order  to 
make  ministers,  a  practice  Christ  never  commanded. 
The  present  Episcopal  churches  are  local  and  greatly 
independent.  All  the  numerous  orders  of  Presby 
terians,  Independents,  and  Baptists  are  local  still.  If 
we  wish  pure  Church  history,  see  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles,  men  flying  by  the  impulse  of  the  Spirit  and 
driven  by  persecution.  See  Paul,  Timothy,  Titus, 
Tychicus,  Archippus,  Trophimus,  Artemas,  Luke, 
Epaphroditus,  etc.  At  present  I  can  only  view  it  in 
this  light,  that  with  many  ministers  men  go  into  the 
ministry  by  their  learning,  by  their  parents,  or  blind 
priests  like  themselves,  moved  by  pride,  worldly 
honor,  or  Satan.  Observe  well  what  a  situation  the 
apostles  found  themselves  in !  If  unfaithful  God 
would  condemn  them  with  a  double  condemnation, 
the  people  ready  to  starve,  stone,  or  beat  them  to 
death.  Modern  priests  seek  to  please  the  people 
that  they  may  not  beat  or  starve  them  to  death. 


456  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

But  will  not  God  condemn  false  teachers  to  the 
nethermost  hell?  We  lay  no  claim  to  the  Latin, 
Greek,  English,  Lutheran,  or  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church  episcopal  order.  It  will  be  easily  seen 
that  we  are  so  unlike  each  other  that  we  are  not 
even  third  cousins.  Will  their  bishops  ride  from 
five  to  six  thousand  miles  in  nine  months  for  eighty 
dollars  a  year,  with  traveling  expenses,  less  or  more ; 
preach  daily  when  opportunity  serves;  meet  six 
camp-meetings  in  the  year ;  make  arrangements  for 
seven  hundred  preachers,  and  ordain  one  hundred 
men  annually  ;  ride  through  all  kinds  of  weather  and 
roads,  at  our  time  of  life,  the  one  fifty-six  and  the 
other  sixty-nine  years  of  age  ? 

"  Be  sure  always  to  see  how  the  charitable  contribu 
tions  are  appropriated.  Never  sign  the  journals  till 
everything  is  correctly  recorded.  Be  rigidly  strict  in 
all  things  ;  and  should  there  be  a  failure  in  any  depart 
ment,  such  as  you  cannot  cure,  appeal  to  the  General 
Conference  for  a  final  decision.  Examine  well  and 
with  caution  admit  men  into  the  ministry.  It  is  ours 
to  plead,  protest,  and  oppose  designing  men  from  get 
ting  into  the  ministry.  It  is  our  fort,  stronghold,  and 
glory,  and  the  superior  excellency  of  our  economy, 
that  each  character  must  undergo  a  strict  examina 
tion  every  year.  Put  men  into  office  in  whom  you 
can  confide.  If  they  disappoint  you  let  them  do  it 
but  once.  Of  all  wickedness  spiritual  wickedness  is 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  457 

the  greatest,  and  of  all  deception  religious  deception 
is  the  worst,  Fear  not  for  the  ark  ;  God  will  care  for 
his  own  cause.  If  we  have  not  men  of  great  talent 
we  have  men  of  good  hearts.  Preserve  a  noble  inde 
pendence  of  soul  on  all  occasions.  Be  the  willing  serv 
ant  of  slaves,  but  the  slave  to  none.  Put  full  confi 
dence  in  men  that  merit  it;  be  not  afraid  to  trust 
young  men,  they  are  not  so  likely  to  fail  as  old 
men ;  young  men  are  willing  and  they  are  able  to 
work. 

"  Ours  is  not  a  civil,  but  a  spiritual  government, 
therefore  one  election  is  sufficient  to  secure  a  man's 
standing  and  office,  unless  in  cases  of  debility,  crimi 
nality,  or  corruption  in  administration. 

"  The  circulation  of  our  traveling  and  local  minis 
try  with  their  different  gifts  and  diversity  of  talents 
is  admirably  calculated  to  be  singularly  useful. 
Many  of  our  local  brethren  travel  hundreds  of  miles 
in  the  course  of  the  year,  and  highly  enjoy  them 
selves,  and  feel  perfectly  at  ease  and  at  home  in  the 
different  circuits  and  districts,  preaching  anywhere 
and  everywhere  without  fear  of  offending  the  travel 
ing  preachers." 

While  Asbury  was  opposed  to  educating  men  for 
the  ministry  as  they  would  be  educated  for  any  other 
profession,  without  regard  to  a  Divine  call,  he  was 
yet  altogether  in  favor  of  having  Methodist  preach- 


458  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

ers  thoroughly  educated,  and  gave,  in  his  own  dili 
gent  attention  to  study,  an  example  to  all  his  sons  in 
the  ministry.  Though  there  were  then  no  colleges 
or  Biblical  Institutes  in  the  Church,  yet  the  study  of 
the  learned  languages  was  by  no  means  neglected ; 
and  Asbury  well  knew  that  he  would  prove  un 
worthy  of  his  relation  as  a  son  of  Wesley  and  a 
colleague  of  Coke,  did  he  not  advocate  to  the 
extent  of  his  ability  the  importance  of  a  sound 
and  thorough  education  in  matters  pertaining  to 
general  science  and  literature,  as  well  as  a  theolog 
ical  training. 

After  preaching  at  Boehm's  Chapel  he  went  to  a 
camp-meeting.  This  meeting  was  largely  attended. 
While  at  the  Widow  Willis's  he  entered  the  follow 
ing  tribute  in  his  Journal : 

"From  the  door  I  saw  the  tomb  of  dear  Henry 
Willis.  Kest,  man  of  God !  Thy  quiet  dust  is  not 
called  to  ride  five  thousand  miles  in  eight  months, 
to  meet  ten  Conferences  in  a  line  of  sessions  from 
the  district  of  Maine  to  the  banks  of  the  Cayuga, 
to  the  states  of  Ohio,  Tennessee,  Mississippi,  to 
Cape  Fear,  James  River,  Baltimore,  Philadelphia, 
and  the  completion  of  the  round.  Thou  wilt  not 
plan  and  labor  and  arrange  the  stations  of  seven 
hundred  preachers.  Thou  wilt  not  attend  camp- 
meetings  and  take  a  daily  part  in  the  ministration 
of  the  word,  and  often  consume  the  hours  which 


FRANCIS    ASBUKY.  459 

ought  to  be  devoted  to  sleep  in  writing  letters  upon 
letters." 

From  hence  he  went  to  the  Pipe  Creek  camp- 
meeting.  While  here  he  said :  "  We  are  told  there 
are  between  forty  and  fifty  converts,  and  many  pro 
fessors  powerfully  quickened.  The  poor  Africans, 
abandoned  by  all  sects  to  us,  were  greatly  engaged." 
Crossing  the  mountains  he  entered  Ohio,  and  held 
Conference  at  Brownsville.  Taking  Chillicothe  and 
West  Union  in  his  route,  he  entered  Kentucky,  and 
visited  his  old  friend  Dr.  Hinde,  in  Clark  county. 
"  Once  more,"  said  he,  "  I  see  Dr.  Hinde  from  the 
other  side  the  flood  rejoicing  in  Jesus.  He  will 
never  again,  I  presume,  put  a  blister  on  his  wife's 
head  to  draw  Methodism  out  of  her  heart.  This  mad 
prank  brought  deep  conviction  by  the  operation  of 
the  Spirit  of  God  upon  his  soul." 

From  hence  he  went  to  the  Tennessee  Conference. 
This  Conference  was  one  of  peace  and  prosperity; 
the  families  in  the  neighborhood  were  extensively 
visited,  and  much  good  resulted  therefrom.  During 
this  Southern  route  Asbury  records  the  following 
significant  sentence :  "  On  the  peaceful  banks  of  the 
Saluda  I  write  my  valedictory  address  to  the  presid 
ing  elders."  As  a  faithful  old  patriarch,  leaning 
upon  his  staff,  he  addressed  the  elders  of  the  tribes 
of  the  Methodist  Israel,  being  assured  that  he 
would  ere  long  be  called  away  from  their  councils. 


460  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

After  visiting  Georgia,  encouraging  and  strength 
ening  the  Churches,  he  returned  to  Charleston, 
where  he  preached  in  all  the  Methodist  churches. 
In  North  Carolina  he  received  intelligence  that 
Dr.  Coke  had  sailed  with  a  company  of  missionaries 
for  India.  In  Norfolk,  where  Conference  was  held, 
he  was  quite  afflicted.  During  his  illness  he  says : 
"I  have  been  moved  about  among  the  families"  (so 
great  was  the  desire  to  have  him)  "  of  the  Wil- 
liamses,  the  Harrises,  the  Weavers,  the  Bennetts,  and 
the  Merediths;  and  O  what  kindness  and  nursing!" 
His  next  point  was  Richmond,  and  from  thence  to 
Georgetown.  The  following  note  was  made  in 
his  Journal :  "  In  the  year  1774  I  first  visited  Vir 
ginia  and  North  Carolina  ;  in  the  year  1780  I  repeat 
ed  my  visit,  and  since  that  time  yearly.  In  the  year 
1785  I  first  visited  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  and 
to  these  states,  except  one  year,  I  have  since  paid  an 
annual  visit  until  now,  1814.  I  suppose  I  have 
crossed  the  Alleghany  Mountains  sixty  times." 

The  Baltimore  Conference,  which  held  its  session 
in  1814  at  Georgetown,  D.  C.,  requested  him  to 
preach  a  funeral  discourse  on  the  death  of  Otterbein. 
Speaking  of  him  Asbury  says  :  "  The  holy,  the  great 
Otterbein !  Forty  years  have  I  known  the  retiring 
modesty  of  this  man  of  God,  towering  majestic  above 
his  fellows  in  learning,  wisdom,  and  grace,  yet  seek 
ing  to  be  known  only  of  God  and  the  people  of  God." 


FEANCIS    ASBURY.  461 

Again  he  visited   Perry   Hall,  where  he   was  sick 
several  days,  receiving  the  kind  attentions  of  that 
hospitable  mansion.     His  next  Conference  was  held 
in  Philadelphia.     From  this  Conference  he  wrote  a 
serious  and  affectionate  letter  to  the  New  England 
Conference,  remonstrating  on  the  neglect  of  family 
worship.     He  was  much  afflicted  during  this  time, 
and  for  twelve  weeks  made  no  entry  in  his  Journal. 
He  was  burdened  with  attention  and  kindness  during 
his  illness,  and  says :  "  I  would  not  be  loved  to  death. 
Attentions  constant,  and  kindness  unceasing,   have 
pursued   me  to  this  place,  (Greensburgh,)   and  my 
strength  increases  daily.     I  look  back  upon  a  mar 
tyr's  life  of  toil,  privation,  and  pain,  and  I  am  ready 
for  a  martyr's  death  !     My  friends  in  Philadelphia 
gave    me   a   light  four-wheeled   carriage ;  but   God 
and   the   Baltimore    Conference  made   me  a  richer 
present ;  they  gave  me  John  Wesley  Bond  for  a  trav 
eling  companion.     Has  he  his  equal   on    earth    for 
excellences  of  every  kind  as  an  aid  ?" 

On  his  Western  tour  he' stopped  at  Pittsburgh,  and 
thence  passed  on  through  Ohio,  stopping  at  Steuben- 
ville,  Zanesville,  Middletown,  Circleville,  and  other 
places,  where  Bond  preached.  Asbury  was  prevailed 
upon  to  preach  in  Chillicothe,  but  it  was  in  great 
weakness  and  suffering.  The  Conference  was  held 
at  Cincinnati.  At  this  place  he  expected  to  have 
met  M'Kendree,  but  the  latter  had  been  thrown 


462  LIFE   AND    TIMES    OF 

from  his  horse  and  considerably  injured.  Asbury 
being  unable  to  preside,  his  place  was  occupied  by 
John  Sale.  While  here  gloomy  tidings  were  receiv 
ed  in  relation  to  the  war;  the  British  had  entered 
Maryland,  and  burned  the  public  buildings  at 
Washington. 

From  Cincinnati  he  went  to  the  Kentucky  Confer 
ence,  which  was  held  on  the  camp-ground.  At  this 
meeting  the  bishop  pleasantly  remarked  :  "  Our  en 
campment  cook  is  Brother  Douglass ;  as  for  the  bish 
ops,  they  are  sick,  lame,  and  in  poverty."  From 
hence  they  passed  through  North  and  South  Carolina, 
and  attended  Conference  in  Georgia.  From  this 
point,  returning  through  North  arid  South  Carolina, 
they  went  into  Virginia.  At  the  Conference  held  in 
Lynchburgh  he  was  severely  attacked  with  asthma 
and  spitting  of  blood.  At  the  Baltimore  Conference 
he  was  quite  feeble,  but  notwithstanding  preached 
several  times,  and  attended  to  the  work  of  stationing 
the  preachers. 

Again  we  find  the  worn  and  weary  bishop  at  that 
place  he  so  much  loved,  and  which  he  so  often  visited, 
Perry  Hall.  A  sense  of  loneliness,  however,  came 
upon  him  as  he  remembered  the  friends  of  other  days 
who  had  passed  away.  The  seasons  of  happiness  he 
had  spent  with  some  of  the  inmates  of  that  hospita 
ble  mansion  were  gone,  never  to  return.  This  was 
the  last  visit  of  the  bishop  to  this  place. 


FKANCIS    ASBURY.  463 

In  much  feebleness  he  entered  upon  his  Eastern 
route,  passing  through  Delaware,  Pennsylvania,  and 
New  Jersey.  At  New  York  he  attended  the  North 
Church  and  preached,  and  from  hence  went  to  Cro- 
ton,  visiting  the  family  of  Governor  Van  Cortlandt, 
who  had  entered  into  rest.  Conference  was  held  at 
Albany,  and  at  the  request  of  the  members  he 
preached  the  funeral  sermon  of  Dr.  Coke,  who  had 
died  on  the  passage  to  the  East  Indies,  and  was 
buried  in  the  Indian  Ocean.  We  find  the  following 
tribute  in  Asbury's  Journal :  "  Dr.  Coke,  of  blessed 
mind  and  soul,  of  the  third  branch  of  Oxonian  Meth 
odists,  a  gentleman,  a  scholar,  and  a  bishop  to  us. 
As  a  minister  of  Christ,  in  zeal,  in  labor,  and  in  ser 
vices,  the  greatest  man  in  the  last  century." 

The  Kev.  William  Thacher,  who  was  a  member 
of  the  New  York  Conference,  and  was  present  at  this 
session,  thus  writes  in  relation  to  Asbury  : 

"  Bishop  Asbury,  almost  done,  is  with  us  again,  sus 
tained  by  Bishop  M'Kendree.  Bishop  Asbury  is  like 
the  old  patriarch,  bowing  down  upon  the  top  of  his 
staff',  his  bodily  strength  much  prostrated,  his  speech 
failed  of  its  usual  articulation,  and  his  voice  of  its 
animated  tone.  But  little  of  his  presence  was  afford 
ed  us  in  Conference.  Forty-four  years'  hardships,  and 
indefatigable  labor  and  traveling,  and  the  fatigues 
and  cares  of  Conferences,  has  worn  him  down;  and 
that  which  came  upon  him  daily,  the  care  of  all  the 


464  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

Churches,  was  never  more  deeply  and  heavily  felt 
by  man.  These  things  engrossed  his  whole  soul.  He 
was  the  apostle  of  American  Methodism,  and  had 
literally  laid  down  his  life  for  his  brethren,  ever  pre 
pared  to  divide  his  last  dollar  with  a  needy  preacher. 
He  was  now  in  his  last  year.  Desiring  an  interview 
with  me  he  sent  me  word,  and  I  called  to  see  him  at 
his  lodgings,  and  with  a  most  tender  solicitude  for  me 
and  mine  he  gave  me  some  kind  and  affectionate 
advice,  and  demonstrated  his  love  for  and  confidence 
in  me ;  then,  with  an  overflowing  heart,  bade  me  his 
last  parental  farewell." 

From  this  Conference  Asbury  and  his  companions 
started  for  Massachusetts.  The  Conference  was  held 
at  Unity.  On  his  way  he  was  detained  two  days 
with  affliction  in  Boston,  but  was  able  to  preach  in 
the  evening  previous  to  leaving.  This  was  his  last 
sermon  in  Boston.  He  was  unable  to  preside  at  the 
Conference,  and  his  place  was  supplied  by  George 
Pickering.  On  his  return  to  New  York  he  preached 
at  Ashgrove  and  at  Freeborn  Garrettson's.  On  Sab 
bath,  the  18th  of  June,  1815,  he  preached  in  New 
York  at  the  Fourth-street  Chapel,  and  at  the  African 
Chapel  on  Tuesday.  The  church  was  crowded  by 
both  white  and  colored  people.  These  were  his  last 
ministrations  in  this  city.  His  text  at  Fourth-street 
was  Zephaniah  i,  12 :  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  at 
that  time  that  I  will  search  Jerusalem  with  candles, 


FRANCIS    ASBUEY.  465 

and  punish  the  men  that  are  settled  on  their  lees, 
that  say  in  their  heart,  the  Lord  will  not  do  good, 
neither  will  he  do  evil."  There  are  living  those  who 
heard  this  discourse,  and  who  represent  it  as  pungent 
and  searching,  full  of  awakening  power  to  the  Church, 
but  abounding  in  tenderness. 

From  New  York  he  went  to  Philadelphia,  where 
he  also  delivered  his  last  message  to  a  large  and 
deeply  interested  congregation.  His  next  sermon 
was  at  Carlisle,  and  from  thence,  to  use  his  own 
expression,  he  "beat  across  the  mountains."  He 
preached  at  Somerset,  Brightwell's,  and  Washing 
ton.  While  at  the  latter  place  he  says :  "  A  Baptist 
missionary  came  into  town  collecting  money  for  for 
eign  lands.  We  labor  for  those  at  home.  Feeble  as 
I  was,  the  necessity  of  bearing  testimony  to  the  truth 
pressed  upon  me.  As  our  Baptist  brother  talked  and 
read  letters  upon  missions  to  foreign  lands,  I  thought 
I  might  help  with  a  few  words.  I  related  that  a  few 
years  past  a  London  Methodist  member,  in  conversa 
tion,  had  complained  to  me  that  the  kingdom  and  the 
Church  had  given  so  largely  to  support  foreign  mis 
sions.  I  observed  in  reply  that  the  Methodist  preach 
ers  who  had  been  sent  by  John  Wesley  to  America, 
came  as  missionaries  ;  some  returned,  others  did  not ; 
and  now  behold  the  consequences  of  this  mission : 
we  have  seven  hundred  traveling,  and  three  thou 
sand  local  preachers  who  cost  nothing.  We  will  not 

30 


466  LIFE   AND   TIMES    OF 

give  up  the  cause,  we  will  not  abandon  the  world  to 
infidels ;  nay,  we  will  be  their  plagues ;  they  will  find 
it  herculean  work  to  put  us  down.  We  will  not  give 
up  that  which  we  know  to  be  glorious  until  we  see 
something  more  glorious;  nor  will  we  concede  an 
inch  to  schismatics  and  heretics,  who  say  '  Do  away 
your  forms,  and  leave  your  peculiar  doctrines,  and 
we  will  show  you  something  better.'  Show  it  to  us 
first ;  we  are  not  ignorant  of  Satan's  devices." 

At  West  Liberty  he  preached  from  the  text,  "  The 
time  is  short."  His  next  stopping  place  was  Zanes- 
ville,  in  the  vicinity  of  which  a  camp-meeting  was  in 
progress.  Within  the  last  three  months  he  had  trav 
eled  through  ISTew  Hampshire,  Vermont,  New  York, 
"New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  and  a  portion  of  Ohio. 
He  visited  the  encampment,  and  preached  from 
2  Cor.  v,  2 :  "  Knowing  the  terror  of  the  Lord  we 
persuade  men."  His  sermon  was  unusually  interest 
ing  and  powerful,  and  several  souls  were  converted 
through  its  instrumentality.  David  Young,  one  of 
the  most  popular  among  the  preachers  of  that  day, 
was  present  at  this  camp-meeting.  Though  advanced 
in  years  and  feeble,  he  is  still  living  in  Zanesville,  a 
patriarch  of  Western  Methodism  beloved  by  all.  As- 
bury's  next  appointment  was  in  Chillicothe.  His  text 
was,  "  And  the  Lord  turned  and  looked  upon  Peter." 
After  the  sermon  intelligence  came  to  him  that  his 
friend  Eleanor  Worthington  was  ill  and  desired  to 


FEANCIS   ASBURY.  46  T 

see  him.  He  accordingly  visited  her,  and  in  conver 
sation  with  her  found  that  she  was  much  exercised 
on  the  subject  of  religion.  She  was  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  Church,  and  had  doubtless  been  converted, 
but  lacked  that  assurance  which  is  the  privilege  of 
the  children  of  God.  When  the  bishop  told  her  it 
was  common  for  persons  to  be  well  assured  that  God 
had  blessed  them,  her  countenance  was  instantly 
lighted  up,  and  her  heart  overflowed  with  joy.  He 
administered  the  sacrament  of  the  holy  communion, 
and  left  her  rejoicing  in  the  Lord. 

"While  here  he  received  the  intelligence  of  the 
overthrow  of  Bonaparte,  and  indulged  in  the  follow 
ing  reflections:  "The  time  is  coming  that  all  kings 
and  rulers  must  acknowledge  the  reign  of  the  King 
of  kings,  or  feel  the  rod  of  the  Son  of  God.  But  will 
forms  do  for  the  United  States  of  America  ?  Foolish 
people  will  think  they  have  a  right  to  govern  them 
selves  as' they  please;  aye,  and  Satan  will  help  them. 
Will  this  do  for  us?  Is  not  this  republic,  this  land, 
this  people,  the  Lord's?  We  acknowledge  no  other 
king  but  the  eternal  King;  and  if  our  great  men  will 
not  rule  in  righteousness,  but  forget  God  and  Christ, 
the  consequence  will  be  ruin." 

At  a  camp-meeting  held  near  Mechanicsburgh  he 
preached  from  the  text,  "The  day  is  far  spent,  and 
the  night  is  at  hand."  Thursday,  September  14, 
he  says:  "Our  Ohio  Conference  began,  and  all 


468  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

our  fears  vanished.  We  have  great  peace,  abund 
ance  of  accommodation,  and  comfortable  seasons 
in  preaching  noon  and  night  in  the  court-house 
and  the  chapel.  Great  grace,  peace,  and  success 
have  attended  our  coming  together.  We  have  sixty- 
eight  preachers.  Ten  delegates  have  been  chosen 
to  attend  the  next  General  Conference."  Bishop 
M'Kendree  was  present  at  the  Conference,  and  at 
its  conclusion  the  two  went  to  Cincinnati. 

While  in  this  place  Asbury  had  a  long  and  earnest 
conversation  with  M'Kendree  in  regard  to  the  affairs 
of  the  Church.  He  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  the 
western  part  of  the  United  States  would  be  the  glory 
of  America  for  the  poor  and  pious,  and  that  it  ought 
to  be  marked  out  for  five  Conferences,  and  he  traced 
out  their  boundaries.  Having  passed  the  first  allot 
ted  period  of  life,  threescore  and  ten  years,  and  being 
in  ill  health,  he  informed  him  that  it  could  not  be 
expected  that  he  should  visit  the  extremities  every 
year,  sitting  in  eight  Conferences  and  traveling  six 
thousand  miles  in  eight  months.  The  labor  and  anx 
iety  connected  with  the  stationing  of  the  preachers 
he  regarded  as  too  great  a  tax  upon  him  in  his  feeble 
health.  From  Cincinnati  he  went  to  Lebanon,  and 
preached,  at  the  request  of  the  Conference,  a  memo 
rial  sermon  on  the  occasion  of  the  death  of  Dr.  Coke. 
On  the  following  Sabbath  he  preached  his  last  ser 
mon  in  Cincinnati,  and  from  thence  passed  over  into 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  469 

Kentucky,  preaching  at  Georgetown  and  Lexington. 
Here  Conference  was  held.  On  Sabbath  he  ordained 
the  deacons,  and  preached  on  the  occasion  of  the 
death  of  Coke.  While  here  he  entered  the  followino- 

O 

in  his  Journal :  "  My  eyes  fail ;  I  will  resign  the 
stations  to  Bishop  M'Kendree ;  I  will  take  away  my 
feet ;  it  is  the  fiftieth  year  of  my  ministry,  and  forty- 
fifth  year  of  labor  in  America.  My  mind  enjoys 
great  peace  and  divine  consolation.  My  health  is 
better,  which  may  in  part  be  because  I  am  less 
deeply  interested  in  the  business  of  Conferences  ;  but 
whether  health,  life,  or  death,  good  is  the  will  of  the 
Lord.  '  I  will  trust  him,  yea,  I  will  praise  him ;  he 
is  the  strength  of  my  heart,  and  my  portion  for- 


470  LIFE   AND   TIMES    OF 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Educational  Advantages  —  His  Devotion  to  Study — His  Knowledge  of 
the  Languages — Thorough  Course  of  Eeading  —  Hebrew  Bible  and 
Greek  Testament  his  constant  Companions  —  Critical  Exegesis — Power 
of  Discrimination  —  Style  of  Writing — Imagination  and  Wit  —  Speci 
mens —  Gracefulness  of  Style  —  Specimens  —  An  Appreciative  Sense 
of  the  Beautiful  —  A  Man  of  Sympathy  —  Notices  of  Books  in  his 
Course  of  Eeading  —  Criticisms  —  His  Skeletons  of  Sermons  —  Secret 
of  his  success  as  a  Student  —  Method  of  Study  —  His  Library  —  Prep 
arations  for  the  Pulpit  —  Obituaries  in  the  early  Minutes  written  by 
Asbury — Epistolary  Correspondence  —  Letters. 

ASBUKY  was  not  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  word  a 
scholar,  and  yet  he  was  far  from  being  deficient 
in  education.  He  did  not,  like  the  Wesleys,  and 
Fletcher,  and  Coke,  enjoy  the  advantages  of  a  col 
legiate  training,  his  opportunity  for  literary  culture 
being  simply  such  as  was  to  be  found  in  the  primary 
schools  of  that  day  in  England  ;  but  at  the  same  time 
such  was  his  love  of  study,  and  his  unremitting  appli 
cation,  that  he  amassed  an  amount  of  varied  learning 
that  was  astonishing,  when  we  consider  the  circum 
stances  under  which  it  was  attained.  Riding  day 
and  night  on  horseback,  and  lodging  mostly  in  the 
cabins  of  the  wilderness,  where  there  were  neither 
books  nor  facilities  for  study,  and  when  in  the  cities 
and  towns  holding  quarterly  meetings,  councils,  and 
conferences,  and  having  the  care  of  all  the  Churches, 


FKANCIS    ASBURY.  471 

temporal  as  well  as  spiritual,  himself  originating  and 
acting  as  agent  for  all  the  institutions  of  the  Church, 
the  wonder  is  that  he  was  able  to  prosecute  with  suc 
cess  any  department  of  study.  As  it  was,  he  made 
himself  acquainted  with  Latin,  Greek,  and  Hebrew, 
besides  taking  a  thorough  course  of  reading  in  Theol 
ogy,  Church  History  and  Polity,  Civil  History  and 
General  Literature.  His  Hebrew  Bible  and  Greek 
Testament  were  his  daily  companions ;  and  though  in 
his  preparations  for  the  pulpit  he  made  no  show  of 
learning,  yet  his  numerous  sketches  furnish  abundant 
evidence  of  the  fact  that  he  was  skilled  in  critical 
exegesis,  and  "a  workman  that  need  not  be  ashamed, 
rightly  dividing  the  word  of  truth"  with  a  power  of 
discrimination  rarely  attained.  His  style  of  writing, 
as  his  Journal  in  three  volumes  will  show,  was  plain, 
pointed,  direct.  He  seemed  to  eschew  all  figures  of 
speech,  and  to  express  his  thoughts  with  sturdy  old 
Anglo-Saxon  nervousness.  Occasionally  a  slight 
sparkle  of  wit  may  be  found  playing  like  a  sunshine 
over  his  grave  sentences,  and  sometimes,  though 
rarely,  he  indulged  in  a  flight  of  imagination  that 
shows  he  was  not  destitute  of  the  elements  of  a 
graceful  writer.  As  mere  specimens  we  present 
the  following,  which  we  take  from  the  volume 
now  in  our  hand. 

While   on    a  visit  to  New   Haven,   the   seat  of 
Yale    College,    he    makes    the    following    remark: 


472  LIFE   AND   TIMES    OF 

"New   Haven!    thou   seat  of  science   and   of  sin! 
Can   thy   dry   bones   live?    <O   Lord!    thou   know- 
est.":      While   at   Middlebury,   the   seat   of  a   col 
lege,  he  entered  the  following:  "At  Middlebury  we 
find   college-craft   and   priest-craft."      At   a   certain 
place  in  the  South  he  said  of  the  people  that  they 
had  "  more  gold  than  grace ;"  and  describing  another 
place  he  said,  "they  had  neither  dollars  nor  disci 
pline,  being  sadly  deficient  in  both."     While  at  the 
salt-works  in  Kentucky,  he  exclaimed :  "  Alas !  there 
is  little  salt  here,  and  when  Sister  Eussell  is  gone 
there  will   be  none   left."      Boston,  he  said,  "  was 
famous  for  poor  religion  and  bad  water."     Alluding 
to  a  congregation  there  who  sold  their  preacher  to 
another   congregation   for   a  thousand   dollars,   and 
loaned  out  the  money  at  thirty  per  cent.,  he  said : 
"How  would  it  do  to  tell   the  South   that  priests 
were  among  the  notions  of  Yankee  traffic."    New 
York,  he  said,  was  "as  famous  for  oysters  and  bad 
ale "  as  "  Asbury  town  was  for  distillation  and  bad 
whisky."    Traveling  in  New  Jersey,  he  remarked : 
"  Since  this  day  week  I  have  ridden  over  dead  sands 
and  among  a  dead  people,  and  a  long  space  between 
meals."      We   might   easily  multiply  specimens   of 
Asbury's    wit,    which,    though    rarely   if    ever    in 
dulged    while    occupying     the    pulpit,    yet   would 
flash    out    among    the    preachers    in    council    and 
Conference   at   times  in  the  most  genial   manner. 


FKANCIS    ASBUEY.  473 

Like  Cowper's  village  pastor,  he  never  stooped  from 
the  holy  place, 

"  To  court  a  grin  when  he  should  woo  a  soul." 

But  we  promised  some  examples  of  gracefulness  of 
style  or  beauty  of  composition.  Having  attended 
the  session  of  the  New  York  Conference  which  was 
held  in  John-street  in  the  summer  of  1802,  he 
says,  "  it  would  require  a  volume  to  tell  the  restless 
tossings  he  had,  the  difficulties  and  anxieties  he  felt 
about  the  preachers  and  people  here  and  elsewhere, 
alternate  joy  and  sorrow  ;  but  I  am  done,  I  am  gone ! 
New  York,  once  more  farewell!"  Having  passed 
the  din  and  strife  of  the  city,  and  having  gained  the 
country,  he  says :  "  How  sweet  to  me  are  all  the  calm 
scenes  of  life  which  now  surround  me  on  every  side. 
The  quiet  country  houses,  the  fields  and  orchards 
bearing  the  promise  of  a  fruitful  year;  the  flocks 
and  herds,  the  hills,  and  vales,  and  dewy  meads,  the 
gliding  streams  and  murmuring  brooks ;  and  thou, 
too,  solitude,  with  thy  attendants,  silence  and  medita 
tion,  how  dost  thou  solace  my  pensive  mind  after  the 
tempest  of  fear,  and  care,  and  tumult,  and  talk  of 
the  noisy,  bustling  city." 

While  in  the  South,  after  riding,  as  he  describes 
it,  six  hundred  miles  over  the  hills,  barrens,  swamps, 
savannas,  rivers,  and  creeks  of  South  Carolina,  he 
says :  "  At  Gause's  Manor  we  were  pleasantly  situ- 


LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

ated.  I  had  a  visit  to  the  sea-beach,  which  to  me 
was  a  most  instructive  sight.  The  sea  reminded  me 
of  its  great  Maker,  who  stayeth  the  proud  waves 
thereof;  its  innumerable  productions,  the  diversified 
features  of  its  shores,  the  sand-hills,  the  marshes, 
the  palmetto,  tall  and  slender;  the  sheep  and  goats 
frisking  in  the  shade,  or  browsing  in  the  sun  ;  or  the 
eye  directed  to  the  waters  beholds  the  rolling  por 
poise,  the  sea-gulls  lifting  and  letting  fall  from  high 
the  clam,  which  breaking  furnishes  them  with  food ; 
the  eagle,  with  hovering  wing,  watching  for  his  prey ; 
the  white  sail  of  the  solitary  vessel  tossed  upon  the 
distant  wave;  how  interesting  a  picture  do  all  these 
objects  make !" 

His  descriptions  of  the  "noble  Hudson  with  its 
Palisades,"  the  "  lofty  Catskills  with  their  towering 
cliffs,"  the  "  beautiful  Ohio  with  its  verdant  shores," 
the  "  wild  Potomac,"  the  "  lovely  Shenandoah,"  the 
"  thundering  Niagara,"  the  "  Natural  Bridge,  under 
whose  arch  he  longed  to  preach,"  the  "  interminable 
forests"  and  "  broad  prairies,"  all  show  that  he  pos 
sessed  a  lively  and  appreciative  sense  of  the  beauti 
ful.  To  those  who  looked  upon  him  as  cold  and  sto 
ical,  and  destitute  of  those  more  tender  and  endear 
ing  sympathies  which  constitute  the  charm  of  social 
life,  let  us  hear  him  as  he  speaks  of  the  death  of  a 
Christian  lady  in  whose  hospitable  mansion  he  often 
found  a  home :  "I  was  invited  to  pass  a  night  under 


FEANCIS    ASBUEY. 


475 


the  hospitable  roof  of  General  Thomas  Worthington, 
at  Mount  Prospect  Hall.  "Within  sight  of  this  beau 
tiful  mansion  lies  the  precious  dust  of  Mary  Tiffin. 
It  was  as  much  as  I  could  do  to  forbear  weeping  over 
her  speaking  grave.  How  mutely  eloquent!  Ah, 
the  world  knows  little  of  my  sorrows— little  knows 
how  dear  to  me  are  my  many  friends,  and  how 
deeply  1  feel  their  loss." 

In   his  Journal  we   find  notices   of  upward  of  a 
hundred  books  which   he  read,  some  of  which   he 
made  the  subject  of  severe  thought  and  study.     His 
various  criticisms  of  works  which  came  under  his 
review,  show  that  he  was  far  from  being  a  superficial 
reader  or  thinker.     We  have  often  been  astonished 
at  the  amount  of  his  reading,  and  have  wondered 
how,    in   the   midst   of  his   numerous   and    onerous 
engagements,   he   found   time  to  perform  a  tithe  of 
what  he  accomplished.     He  was  never,  in  any  sense 
of  the  word,  unemployed,  and  what  is  more  important, 
was  never  "triflingly  employed."     That  the  reader 
may  see  that  he  was  as  accurate  in  his  judgment  of 
books  as  he  was  of  men,  we  subjoin  some  of  his 
criticisms.    '  Of  Edwards  on  the  Affections,  he  says  : 
"  Excepting  the  small  vein  of  Calvinism  which  runs 
through  this  book,  it  is  a  very  good  treatise,  and 
worthy  the  serious  attention  of  young  professors  of 
religion."     Of  Sherlock's  Sermons  he  makes  the  fol 
lowing  remark  :  "  The  author  was  doubtless  a  man  of 


476  LIFE    AND   TIMES    OF 

great  abilities,  but  it  is  a  pity  he  had  not  been  a  more 
evangelical  writer.  I  find  some  good  things  in  his 
writings,  and  others  in  general  harmless,  but  not  very 
interesting."  After  he  had  finished  reading  the  lives 
of  Haliburton,  De  fienfy,  and  Walsh,  he  thus  charac 
terizes  them :  "  One  of  the  Church  of  Scotland, 
another  of  the  Church  of  Eome,  and  the  latter  a 
Methodist  preacher,  but  the  work  of  God  is  one  in 
all.  To  set  aside  a  few  particulars,  how  harmonious 
does  the  work  of  God  appear  in  men  of  different 
nations  and  Churches."  Having  read  two  volumes 
of  Sermons  by  Rev.  Mr.  Knox,  of  the  West  Indies, 
he  says:  "I  am  much  pleased  with  his  defense  of 
revealed  religion.  Through  the  whole  work  there  is 
something  sublime  and  spiritual,  so  catholic  too, 
and  free  from  peculiar  doctrines.  I  esteem  him  as 
one  of  the  best  writers  among  the  Presbyterians  I 
have  yet  met  with I  approve  the  spirit  and  princi 
ples  of  the  man ;  he  appears  to  be  of  the  spirit  of  Mr. 
M'Gaw;  he  gives  some  favorable  hints  of  restora 
tion,  that  natural  evil  should  purge  out  moral  evil ;  but 
gives  it  not  as  his  own  opinion,  but  as  that  of  others. 
In  another  place  he  says :  '  Perhaps  the  heathen 
world  shall  have  an  after  trial ;'  if  in  time,  it  is  true. 
So  it  sometimes  is,  that  if  a  man  is  a  rigid  Calvinist, 
and  turns,  he  must  go  quite  round ;  but  general 
redemption  and  conditional  salvation  is  the  plan." 
Concerning  a  work  written  by  Eev.  Silas  Mercer,  a 


FRANCIS    ASBURY. 


Baptist,  he  says :  "  I  have  been  wonderfully  enter 
tained    with  it.     He  has   anathematized   the   whole 
race  of  kings  from  Saul  to  George  the  Third.     He  is 
republicanism    run    mad.     Why  afraid    of  religious 
establishments  in  these  days  of  enlightened  liberty  ? 
Silas  has  beaten  the  pope,  who  only  on  certain  occa 
sions,  and  for  certain  reasons,  absolves  subjects  from 
allegiance  to  their  sovereigns  ;  and  if  the  nations  of 
Europe  believed  the  sweeping  doctrines  of  Silas,  they 
would  be  right  in  decapitating  every  crowned  head, 
and  destroying  every  existing  form  of  Church  gov 
ernment.      If  plunging  baptism   be    the    only   true 
ordinance,  and  there  can  be  no  true  Church  without 
it,  it  is  not  quite  clear  that  even  Christ  had  a  Church 
until  the  Baptists  plunged  for  it."    Comber  on  Ordi 
nation  elicited  the  following  critique :  "  Much  pomp 
was  annexed  to  the  clerical  order,  though  plausible  in 
its  way.     I  believe  the  episcopal  mode  of  ordination 
to  be  more  proper  than  the  presbyterial,  or  ordination 
by  presbyters,  but  I  wish  there  were  primitive  quali 
fications  in  all  who  handle  sacred  things."     The  Con 
fession  of  Faith    and    the    Assembly's    Catechism: 
"  There  are  some  good  and  other  very  strong  things 
in  it.     These  books   are    calculated  to  convert  the 
judgment  and  make  the   people  systematical  Chris 
tians."     Fletcher's  Checks:  "The  style  and  spirit  in 
which    Mr.   Fletcher  writes   at    once    bespeak    the 
scholar,  the  logician,  and  the  divine."      Robertson's 


LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

History  of  Scotland:  "  O  what  treachery  and  policy 
attendeth  courts,  and  how  does  court  policy,  without 
design,  give  way  to  a  reformation.  This  has  been  the 
case  in  England  and  Scotland.  The  fate  of  the  un 
fortunate  Mary  Queen  of  Scots  was  affecting.  The 
admired  Queen  Elizabeth  does  not  appear  to  advant 
age  in  the  Scotch  history."  Dr.  Chandler's  Appeal 
to  the  Public :  "  I  think,  upon  the  whole,  he  is  right. 
Why  may  not  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  have 
as  much  indulgence  in  America  as  any  other  society." 
Potter's  Church  Government:  "I  have  read  and 
transcribed  portions  of  this  work,  but  I  must  prefer 
the  episcopal  mode  of  Church  government  to  the 
presbyterian.  If  the  modern  bishops  were  all  as 
the  ancient  ones,  all  would  be  right,  and  there  wants 
nothing  but  the  spirit  of  the  thing."  Clagget  against 
Chubb :  "  He  writes  well  for  a  layman,  but  I  suspect 
he  would  write  as  much  against  us  whom  he  terms 
Arminians.  Chubb  is  quite  wrong.  Clagget  is  no 
way  smooth  and  entertaining,  though  he  has  truth 
and  argument  on  his  side."  The  Valley  of  Lilies, 
~by  Thomas  a  Kempis :  This  is  much  in  the  style  of 
his  Christian's  Pattern,  or  Imitation  of  Christ.  I 
wonder  Mr.  Wesley  has  never  abridged  this  work." 
IIoweis>s  Church  History :  "  This  is  perhaps  among 
the  best  I  have  seen,  but  his  partiality  to  good  old 
Calvinism  is  very  apparent.  I  find  it  is  the  author's 
opinion  that  the  evangelists  were  chief  superintend- 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  479 

ing  episcopal  men,  (ay,  so  say  I,)  and  that  they  pre 
scribed  forms  of  discipline  and  systematized  codes  of 
doctrine.     After  the  death   of  the  apostles,  it  would 
appear  that  the  elders  elected  the  most  excellent  men 
to  superintend.     This  course  was  doubtless  the  most 
expedient   and    excellent,      Every    candid    inquirer 
after  truth  will  acknowledge,  upon  reading  Church 
history,  that  it  was  a  great  and  serious  evil  when 
philosophy  and  human  learning  were    taught  as  a 
preparation  for  a  Gospel  ministry."     Marshall's  Life 
of  Washington :    "  Critics  may,  for    aught  I  know, 
find  fault  (especially  on  the  other  side  of  the  water) 
with  the  style  and  general  execution  of  this  work.     I 
like  both.     The   early  history  of  the   country  very 
properly  precedes,  and  is  connected  with  the  life  of 
the  great  man   who  has  been  so  justly  styled  the 
father  of  his  country.     There  is  nothing  in  the  work 
beneath  the  man  of  honor ;  there  are  no  malevolent 
sentiments   or  bitter   expressions  derogatory  to    the 
character  of  a  Christian.     The  author  deserves  credit 
for  the  pains  he  has  taken  to  furnish  authorities  vand 
authentic  records  in  the  notes  to  his  work.     If  any 
author  in  America  has  done  better  than  Marshall,  it 
is    Belknap,   perhaps."     Mungo  Partfs   Travels  in 
Africa  :    "  Certain  parts  are  so  extraordinary  that  it 
appears  like   a  romance.     If  true   lie    experienced 
astonishing  hardships,     It  would  seem  by  this  narra 
tive,  that  the  Africans  are  in  a  state  so  wretched  that 


480  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

any  sufferings  with  the  Gospel  would  be  submitted  to 
in  preference.  But  I  have  my  doubts."  Oslervald's 
Christian  Theology :  In  Cave's  Lives  of  the  Fathers, 
and  in  the  writings  of  the  ancients,  it  will  appear 
that  the  Churches  of  Alexandria  and  elsewhere  had 
large  congregations  and  many  elders ;  that  the  apos 
tles  might  appoint  and  ordain  bishops.  Mr.  Oster- 
vald,  who,  it  appears,  is  a  candid  and  well-informed 
man,  has  gone  as  far  as  might  be  expected  for  a 
Presbyterian.  For  myself  I  see  but  a  hair's  breadth 
difference  between  the  sentiments  of  the  respectable 
and  learned  author  of  Christian  Theology  and  the 
practice  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  There 
is  not,  nor  indeed  in  my  mind  can  there  be  a  perfect 
equality  between  a  constant  president  and  those  over 
whom  he  always  presides."  Simpson's  Plea  for  Re 
ligion  :  "  The  author  has  drawn  aside  the  purple 
curtain  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  the  black  robes 
of  the  antichristian  Church  of  England,  to  lay  bare 
the  abuses  of  bad  systems  and  the  vices  of  mitered 
heads.  He  has  raised  his  warning  voice  against  the 
corruption  of  manners  and  morals  in  all  orders,  which 
will,  he  predicts,  without  a  speedy  reformation,  cause 
the  downfall  of  all  ecclesiastical  establishments.  He 
has  magnanimously  renounced  his  living  as  a  minis 
ter,  which  his  conscience  would  permit  him  no 
longer  to  hold.  He  said  he  knew  not  where  to  go, 
but  the  Lord  has  taken  him  to  the  ' Church  of  the 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  481 

first-born?  O  what  a  warning  is  given  to  all 
Churches,  to  all  ministers,  to  all  Christians,  and  to 
thee,  O  my  soul !"  Blair's  Sermons :  "I  find  some 
very  beautiful  things  in  these  sermons ;  they  contain 
good  moral  philosophy.  His  sermon  on  Gentleness  is 
worthy  the  taste  of  Queen  Charlotte,  and  if  money 
were  anything  toward  paying  for  knowledge,  I 
should  think  that  sermon  worth  two  hundred  pounds 
sterling,  which,  some  say,  the  queen  gave  him." 
Prince's  Christian  History:  Ihis  book  is  Method 
ism  in  all  its  parts.  I  have  a  great  desire  to  print  an 
abridgment  of  it  to  show  the  apostate  children  what 
their  fathers  were."  Gordons  History  of  the  Amer 
ican  Revolution:  "Here  we  view  the  suffering 
straits  of  the  American  army,  and  what  is  greatly  in 
teresting,  Washington  taking  his  farewell  of  the 
officers  of  the  American  army."  Sauries  Sermons : 
"  Long,  elaborate,  learned,  doctrinal,  practical,  his 
torical,  and  explanatory."  Thomson's  Seasons: 
"  I  find  a  little  wheat  and  a  great  deal  of  chaff.  I 
have  read  great  authors,  so  called,  and  wondered 
where  they  found  their  finery  of  words  and  phrases. 
Much  of  this  might  be  pilfered  from  the  c  Seasons,' 
without  injury  to  the  real  merit  of  the  work ;  and 
doubtless  it  has  been  plucked  by  literary  robbers." 
Wesley's  Journal :  "  I  am  now  convinced  of  the 
great  difficulty  of  journalizing.  Mr.  Wesley  was 

doubtless  a  man  of  very  general  knowledge,  learning, 

31 


482  LIFE   AND    TIMES    OF 

and  reading,  to  which  we  may  add  a  lively  wit  and 
humor ;  yet  I  think  I  see  too  much  credulity,  long, 
flat  narrations  and  coarse  letters  taken  from  others, 
in  his  Journal;  but  when  I  come  to  his  own  thoughts 
they  are  lively,  sentimental,  interesting,  and  in 
structing.  The  journal  of  a  minister  of  the  Gospel 
should  be  theological,  only  it  will  be  well  to  wink 
at  many  things  we  see  and  hear,  since  men's  feel 
ings  grow  more  and  more  refined." 

Besides  his  readings,  Asbury's  sketches  or  skeletons 
of  sermons,  if  collected  together,  would  make  a  vol 
ume  of  rare  value  for  their  exegetical  and  practical 
character.  Above  all  the  books  for  reading  and 
study,  the  Bible,  which  he  read  in  the  original  lan 
guages,  occupied  the  highest  place ;  and  no  day, 
when  his  health  would  permit,  was  suffered  to  pass 
without  its  thorough  and  systematic  study.  This  was 
the  great  armory  from  whence  he  drew  the  weapons 
of  his  warfare,  and  in  the  successful  wielding  of 
which  he  was  enabled  to  demolish  the  strongholds  of 
the  adversary.  Following  in  the  footsteps  of  Wesley, 
he  urged  upon  the  preachers  the  importance  of 
study ;  and  many,  from  his  own  example,  who,  when 
they  entered  the  itinerancy,  were  utterly  deficient  m 
education,  not  only  made  themselves  acquainted  with 
their  own  language  and  literature,  but  made  them 
selves  acquainted  with  the  classics  of  Greece  and 
Rome,  as  well  as  the  literature  of  Palestine.  All 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  483 

honor  to  those  self-made  men  who,  without  a  college, 
and  almost  without  a  salary,  pushed  their  way  to  the 
cabins  of  the  wilderness,  and  in  the  midst  of  all  their 
toils  and  embarrassments  worked  their  way  into  the 
domain  of  letters. 

The  secret  of  Asbury's  success  as  a  student  con 
sisted  in  his  rigid  adherence  to  a  systematic  method ; 
and  it  is  rarely  if  ever  that  any  one  excels  who  does 
not  adopt  and  adhere  to  a  systematic  course  of  study. 
Discipline  is  everything  to  body  and  mind,  and  the 
most  insurmountable  difficulties  are  overcome  by 
patient  perseverance.  To  labor  and  to  wait  may  be 
a  difficult  task  for  the  impulsive  and  ambitious  to 
learn ;  but  there  is  no  royal  road,  no  patent-righted, 
labor-saving  way  to  profound  attainment  in  any  de 
partment  of  learning.  His  method,  when  not  trav 
eling,  was  to  rise  at  four  o'clock  every  morning; 
spend  two  hours  in  prayer  and  meditation,  two  hours 
in  reading  and  study,  and  one  in  recreation  and  con 
versation.  Ten  hours  out  of  sixteen  were  spent  in 
reading  the  Hebrew  Bible  and  other  books,  and  wri 
ting.  He  retired  to  his  room  at  eight  o'clock  when 
not  at  meeting  or  in  council,  and  spent  an  hour  in 
meditation  and  prayer  before  retiring. to  rest. 

Being  obliged,  for  the  most  part,  to  depend 
for  a  library  on  the  resources  of  his  saddle-bags, 
which  consisted  of  his  Hebrew  Bible,  Greek  Testa 
ment,  Book  of  Discipline,  and  a  few  other  books, 


484  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

his  preparations  for  the  pulpit  were  not  drawn 
from  commentaries,  sketches,  and  pulpit  assistants, 
but  from  original  sources.  Eeading  his  text  in  the 
original,  and  thus  going  to  the  very  fountain  of  in 
spiration,  he  was  enabled  to  bring  out  of  this  rich 
and  inexhaustible  treasury  things  if  not  novel  at 
least  constructed  after  the  model  of  the  Holy  Scrip 
tures.  His  sermons  were  mostly  of  a  textual,  and 
rarely,  like  many  discourses  of  the  present  day,  of  a 
topical  character,  and  which  stand  frequently  as 
nearly  related  to  one  passage  of  Scripture  as  another. 

Examining  the  numerous  sketches  of  his  sermons 
given  in  his  Journal,  we  are  struck  with  the  natural 
ness  of  his  divisions  of  the  subject-matter  of  the  texts; 
and  those  who  have  heard  him  preach  assure  us  that 
he  followed  the  advice  of  the  Discipline,  which  he 
administered  to  the  letter,  in  "  always  making  out 
what  he  took  in  hand,"  "  always  suiting  his  subject 
to  his  audience,  and  choosing  the  plainest  texts." 
In  fact,  "  to  convince,  to  offer  Christ,  to  invite,  and 
to  build  up "  were  prominent  points,  rarely,  if  ever, 
lost  sight  of  in  his  discourses.  In  this  respect  he 
was  a  model  preacher. 

We  cannot  close  this  chapter  without  calling  the 
attention  of  the  reader  to  two  more  features  in  con 
nection  with  the  literary  attainments  of  Asbury.  It 
is  conceded  pretty  generally  by  those  who  were 
competent  to  give  information  on  this  subject,  that 


FEANCIS    ASBURY.  485 

most  of  the  obituaries  found  in  the  older  Minutes  of 
the  Conferences  were  from  his  pen.  As  biographical 
sketches  they  are  models  of  excellence.  In  these  we 
find  no  attempt  at  eulogy  or  elaboration.  The  strong 
points  in  the  character  of  each  were  seized  and  de 
lineated  with  a  master  hand.  We  have  presented  in 
the  early  part  of  our  book  a  few  of  these  as  speci 
mens  of  what  we  conceive  to  be  a  rare  biographi 
cal  style. 

The  other  remarkable  quality  in  the  literary  char 
acter  of  Asbury  which  is  worthy  of  notice,  is  his 
admirable  epistolary  style.  His  correspondence  was 
voluminous,  and  his  letters  possess  an  interest  beyond 
their  personal  value,  in  the  vast  amount  of  informa 
tion  they  contain  on  matters  not  only  pertaining  to 
the  Church  and  her  interests,  but  to  the  country  at 
large.  His  numerous  letters  to  Thomas  Morrell,  who 
was  stationed  at  John-street  Church,  and  which 
were  published  several  years  since  in  the  Christian 
Advocate  and  Journal,  are  full  of  interesting  facts 
and  incidents  pertaining  to  the  current  history  of 
Methodism. 


486  LIFE   AND   TIMES   OF 


CHAPTEE  XXIII. 

His  last  Eound  — Unceasing  Toil  — The  ruling  Passion  —  Entry  in  liis 
Journal  — Journey  through  North  and  South  Carolina  — Arrival  at 
Richmond,  Virginia  —  Dissuaded  from  Preaching  —  Determined  to 
preach  once  more  —  Is  carried  into  the  Church — Beautiful  Morning  — 
His  Text  on  the  Occasion  —  His  Audience  —  An  impressive  Scene  — 
Close  of  the  Discourse  —  Anxiety  to  reach  Baltimore  —  Farewell  —  Ar 
rives  at  the  Residence  of  his  old  Friend,  Mr.  George  Arnold — Illness 
increased— Unable  to  proceed  further  — His  Sufferings  — Sabbath- 
Family  called  together  for  Religious  Service — Bond,  his  traveling  Com 
panion,  reads  and  expounds  the  Scriptures  —  Conclusion  of  Services — 
While  sitting  in  his  Chair  the  Spirit  of  Asbury  passed  away  —  His 
Funeral  —  Burial — Request  of  the  Citizens  of  Baltimore  made  to  the 
General  Conference  —  His  Remains  removed  to  Eutaw-street  Church  — 
Vast  Procession  —  Funeral  Oration  pronounced  by  Bishop  M'Kendrec  — 
Epitaph  —  Resolutions  of  the  Baltimore  Conference  in  1856  in  relation 
to  the  Erection  of  a  Monument  in  Mount  Olivet  Cemetery  —  Reflections. 

THE  veteran  pioneer  had  taken  his  last  round  and 
had  attended  his  last  Conference.  Forty-five  years 
of  incessant  toil  in  cities  and  villages,  and  in  the 
log-cabins  and  wildernesses  of  the  far  West  and 
South,  traveling  round  the  continent  with  but  few 
exceptions  every  year,  subject  to  every  kind  of  itin 
erant  hardship  and  privation,  bore  heavily  upon  his 
physical  constitution,  and  we  find  him,  as  if  impelled 
by  a  ruling  passion  strong  as  life,  and  undismayed  by 
the  approach  of  death,  urging  his  weary  way  from 
appointment  to  appointment.  He  needed  rest  and 
relief  from  all  cares  and  anxieties,  but  like  one  who 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  487 

was  determined  to  rest  not  until  the  grave  should 
unveil  its  bosom  to  receive  him,  he  continued  to 
travel  and  preach.  When  he  could  no  longer  walk 
to  the  house  of  God,  he  was  borne  in  the  arms  of  his 
brethren ;  and  when  he  could  no  longer  stand  in  the 
holy  place  to  deliver  his  dying  message  to  the  assem 
bled  flocks  over  which  he  had  been  a  faithful  and 
affectionate  overseer  for  upward  of  forty  years,  he 
sat,  as  the  beloved  of  the  Apocalypse,  and  poured 
out  the  treasures  of  his  loving,  overflowing  heart  to 
the  weeping  multitudes,  who  sorrowed  most  at  the 
thought  "  that  they  should  see  his  face  no  more."  In 
the  midst  of  his  last  labors  he  says  in  his  Journal : 
"I  die  daily,  am  made  perfect  by  labor  and  suffering, 
and  fill  up  still  what  is  behind.  There  is  no  time  or 
opportunity  to  take  medicine  in  the  day-time,  I  must 
do  it  at  night.  I  am  wasting  away." 

By  slow  and  difficult  stages  he  passed  with  his 
faithful  Bond  through  South  and  North  Carolina, 
preaching  at  different  points  until  he  reached  Rich 
mond,  Virginia.  His  anxiety  to  preach  once  more 
in  Richmond  was  so  great,  that  notwithstanding  the 
entreaties  and  endeavors  of  his  friends  to  dissuade 
him  therefrom,  seeing  his  extreme  debility,  he  over 
came  all  their  efforts,  saying,  "  I  must  once  more  de 
liver  my  public  testimony  in  this  place.  "When  the 
hour  for  preaching  arrived  he  was  taken  in  a  close 
carriage  to  the  Old  Methodist  Church.  On  arriving 


488  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

he  was  borne  in  the  arms  of  his  friends  into  the 
church  and  placed  upon  a  table  prepared  for  the 
purpose,  whereon  he  was  seated.  The  "  Old  Church," 
whose  walls  had  so  often  echoed  to  his  voice,  was 
crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity. 

It  was  a  bright  and  beautiful  Sabbath  of  spring 
in  the  year  1816.  Nature,  which  in  the  South  at  a 
more  early  season  puts  on  her  flowery  robe  and 
decks  herself  in  garlands  of  beauty,  on  this  morning 
wore  her  most  smiling  aspect.  The  air  was  freighted 
with  the  perfume  of  bright  spring  flowers,  and  earth 
and  sky  conjoined  to  make  the  Sabbath  a  delight. 
But  that  day,  so  full  of  joyousness  and  hope,  like  the 
aged  messenger  of  God  who  saw  its  opening  glories, 
was  destined,  like  himself,  to  pass  away.  How  befit 
ting  the  language  of  the  poet : 

"  Sweet  day,  so  calm,  so  bright, 

Bridal  of  earth  and  sky, 
The  dew  shall  weep  thy  fall  to-night, 

For  thou,  alas !  must  die." 

After  singing,  reading  the  Scriptures,  and  prayer, 
the  bishop  announced,  in  tremulous  tones,  his  text : 
"For  he  will  finish  the  work  and  cut  it  short  in 
righteousness:  because  a  short  work  will  the  Lord 
make  upon  the  earth."  Impressed  with  the  con 
sciousness  that  his  work  was  done,  and  that  he 
was  like  one  who  was  waiting  for  the  voice  of  the 


FRANCIS    ASBUEY.  489 

bride-groom,  the  text  was  well  chosen.  Before  and 
around  him  were  his  brethren  and  friends  of  former 
years.  With  tearful  eyes  and  throbbing  hearts  they 
were  listening  to  the  last  sermon  of  their  beloved 
father  in  God.  Slowly  and  measuredly  the  solemn 
truths  fell  from  his  trembling  lips.  Carried  away 
by  his  feelings  he  exceeded  his  strength,  and  was 
obliged  to  pause  frequently  from  sheer  exhaustion. 
Feeble  as  he  was  he  preached  for  nearly  an  hour, 
during  which  time  a  deep  and  awful  stillness  per 
vaded  the  entire  assembly,  only  broken  by  the  sobs 
of  sympathetic  hearers.  To  the  vast  audience  gath 
ered  on  this  occasion  the  scene  before  them  must 
have  been  sublimely  impressive.  For  the  last  time 
they  were  listening  to  the  voice  of  their  beloved 
bishop,  who  had  gone  in  and  out  before  them  in 
his  continental  visits  for  so  many  years.  When  he 
closed  his  discourse  he  was  much  exhausted,  and 
was  borne  back  to  his  carriage  and  taken  to  his 
lodgings. 

Almost  any  other  person  would  have  -desisted 
from  traveling  in  such  an  ill  state  of  health,  but  the 
spirit  of  Asbury  could  brook  no  delay ;  besides,  he 
was  particularly  anxious  to  reach  Baltimore  to  be 
present  at  the  session  of  the  General  Conference  in 
May.  Accordingly,  taking  his  last  farewell  of  the 
brethren  and  friends  in  Kichmond,  he  proceeded 
on  his  journey  in  the  care  of  his  ever-faithful 


490  LIFE    AND  TIMES   OF 

Bond.  Having  arrived  at  the  residence  of  his  old 
and  long-tried  friend,  Mr.  George  Arnold,  about 
twenty  miles  south  of  Fredericksburg,  in  Virginia, 
his  illness  increased  so  that  he  was  unable  to 
proceed. 

On  the  evening  of  the  twenty-ninth  of  March  his 
carriage  stopped  at  the  door  of  this  his  last  earthly 
resting-place,  and  he  was  borne  into  the  house  never 
more  to  leave  it  until  his  worn  and  weary  body 
should  be  carried  to  the  tomb.  He  suffered  much 
during  the  night  and  the  succeeding  day,  notwith 
standing  everything  was  done  that  affection  could  do 
to  mitigate  his  distress.  When  sabbath  came  he 
requested  the  family  to  be  called  together  at  the 
usual  hour  for  religious  services.  His  traveling  com 
panion  read  and  expounded  the  twenty -first  chapter 
of  Kevelation,  during  which  time  Asbury  was  calm 
and  devotional.  His  end  was  near,  and  his  faith 
doubtless  enabled  him  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  holy 
city  which  John  saw  coming  down  out  of  heaven, 
and  to  'hear  the  voice  assuring  him  that  God  would 
wipe  away  the  tears  from  sorrow's  weeping  eye. 
The  sun  of  his  life  was  declining,  but  there  were  no 
clouds  in  the  evening  heavens.  All  was  calm,  and 
clear,  and  bright. 

The  services  were  closed,  and  Bond,  perceiving 
that  the  venerable  bishop  was  sinking  in  his  chair, 
hastened  to  support  hioi ;  and  while  he  held  up  his 


FRANCIS  ASBUEY  491 

reclining  head,  the   spirit   of  the   patriarch  passed 
away  in  peace  to  its  God,  and  thus, 

"Like  some  broad  river  widening  t'ward  the  sea, 
Calmly  and  grandly  life  join'd  eternity." 

His  funeral  was  attended  by  a  large  assemblage 
of  citizens  from  the  surrounding  neighborhood, 
and  with  appropriate  religious  services  his  body 
was  deposited  in  the  family  burying-ground  of 
Mr.  Arnold. 

At  the  session  of  the  General  Conference  a  request 
was  presented  by  the  people  of  Baltimore,  that  his 
remains  be  removed,  and  deposited  in  a  vault  pre 
pared  for  that  purpose  in  the  Eutaw  Church,  immedi 
ately  beneath  the  pulpit.  The  occasion  of  the  re 
interment  was  one  of  thrilling  interest,  not  only  to 
the  members  of  the  General  Conference,  but  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  entire  city.  An  immense  con 
course  assembled  at  the  Light-street  Church,  from 
whence  his  remains  were  taken  to  the  Eutaw 
Church.  At  the  head  of  the  vast  procession  was 
Bishop  M'Kendree,  the  colleague  of  the  departed 
Asbury,  and  the  only  surviving  bishop  of  the 
Church.  Next  followed  the  members  of  the  Gen 
eral  Conference ;  and  lastly  the  members  of  the 
Church  and  citizens  in  thousands.  Amid  the  tears 
of  the  multitude,  M'Kendree  pronounced  the  funeral 
address;  and  with  the  solemn  and  impressive  cere- 


492  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

monies  connected  with  the  burial  service,  the  sacred 
relics  were  deposited  in  their  resting-place.  Over 
the  vault  the  following  epitaph  was  inscribed : 

0f 
REV.    FRANCIS    ASBURY, 

BISHOP  OF  THE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  OHUEOH. 

He  was  born  in  England,  August  20,  1745 ; 
Entered  the  Ministry  at  the  age  of  seventeen ; 

Came  a  Missionary  to  America  1771 ; 

Was  ordained  Bishop  in  this  city  December  27,  1784; 

Annually  visited  the  Conferences  in  the  United  States ; 

With  much  zeal  continued  to  "preach  the  word" 

For  more  than  half  a  century; 

and 
Literally  ended  his  labors  with  his  life, 

Near  Fredericksburg,  Virginia, 
In  the  full  triumph  of  faith,  on  the  31st  of  March,  1816, 

Aged  70  years,  7  months,  and  11  days. 

His  remains  were  deposited  in  this  vault  May  10,  1816, 

By  the  General  Conference  then  sitting  in  this  city. 

His  journals  will  exhibit  to  posterity 

His  labors,  his  difficulties,  his  sufferings, 

His  patience,  his  perseverance,  his  love  to  God  and  man. 

In  March,  1856,  the  Baltimore  Conference  passed 
the  following  resolutions : 

"  RescHwed,  That  we  highly  appreciate  the  inten 
tion  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  493 

Church  in  the  city  and  precincts  of  Baltimore,  to 
erect  a  monument  which  may  designate  to  future 
generations  the  burial-place  of  the  venerable  ASBURY, 
and  also  record  the  gratitude  of  the  Church  for  the 
blessings  which  have  resulted  from  the  labors  of  that 
faithful  servant  of  Christ,  to  whom,  under  God, 
American  Methodism  is  so  deeply  indebted  for  her 
wonderful  progress  and  prosperity. 

Resolved,  That  we  present  this  subject  to  our  vari 
ous  congregations  as  soon  after  we  reach  our  several 
appointments  as  may  be  convenient,  and  that  we 
request  the  donations  of  those  of  the  members  and 
friends  of  our  Church  who  may  feel  disposed  to  con 
tribute  to  this  memorial." 

The  trustees  of  Mount  Olivet  Cemetery  having 
selected  and  contributed  a  site  for  this  monument, 
the  resolutions  were  designed  to  carry  out  their  be 
nevolent  undertaking,  and  it  is  presumed  that  ere 
long  a  monument  worthy  of  the  Pioneer  Bishop  will 
be  erected  by  the  Baltimore  Methodists,  to  "desig 
nate  to  future  generations  the  burial-place  of  the 
venerable  Asbury." 

The  reader  has  seen  in  the  preceding  pages  that  the 
life  of  Asbury  was  one  of  continued  incident,  from 
his  youth  through  all  the  period  of  his  laborious  and 
useful  career.  What  the  London  "  Athenseum  "  says 
of  the  tireless  itinerant,  Wesley,  in  Great  Britain — 
that  if  "  under  the  horsehoof  of  Attila  the  grass  never 


494  LIFE    AND    TIMES    OF 

grew,  so  the  grass  never  grew  under  the  tread  of  John 
Wesley" — may  with  equal  propriety  be  affirmed  of 
the  indefatigable  Francis  Asbury  in  America. 

Well  did  Methodism  find  its  way  into  the  States. 
It  had  no  ruffles  or  lawn  that  it  feared  to  soil,  no 
powdered  locks  that  it  feared  to  disorder,  no  buckles 
it  was  afraid  to  tarnish.  It  lodged  roughly  and 
fared  scantily.  It  tramped  up  muddy  ridges,  it 
swam  or  forded  rivers  to  the  waist,  it  slept  on 
leaves  or  raw  deer  skin,  or  pillowed  its  head 
on  saddle  bags,  it  bivouacked  among  wolves  or 
Indians  ;  now  it  suffered  from  ticks  or  mosquitoes  ;  it 
was  attacked  by  dogs,  it  was  hooted  and  it  was 
pelted;  the  hurricane  blew  down  trees  across  its  path; 
it  lost  its  way  in  the  woods,  it  was  stricken  by  fever 
and  wasted  by  pestilence,  it  was  lined,  maltreated 
and  imprisoned,  but  it  throve.  Through  the  ample 
woods  of  the  AYest,  taking  long  windings  to  avoid 
the  swamps,  skulking  out  of  sight  of  Indians,  follow 
ing  by  the  dim  light  of  some  backwoodsman's  blaze, 
drifting  along  great  silent  rivers  to  some  poor  settler's 
hut,  giving  even  the  shirt  off  its  back,  worn,  weary, 
rain-drenched,  yet  pursuing  its  noble  mission,  and 
making  footpaths  for  love  and  fondness,  Methodism 
went  on  till  it  had  crossed  the  frontier  of  states.  The 
only  distinction  of  its  bishops  was  one  of  bodily  toil 
or  personal  labor.  They  traversed  six  thousand  miles 
a  year  through  a  country  that  had  no  inns,  no  roads, 


FRANCIS    ASBURY.  495 

where  they  and  their  horses,  when  they  had  any,  were 
hungry  and  shelterless.  If  they  wanted  a  dinner 
they  had  to  hunt  it,  and  then  cook  it  by  a  fire  that 
would  not  blaze,  and  the  rain  and  wind  often  put  it 
out.  It  was  a  feast  day  when  they  dined  on  raccoon 
or  bear  steaks,  and  jolted  on  a  road  fall  of  ruts  in  a 
forty-dollar  chaise.  Perhaps  even  Methodism  would 
not  do  ill  to  recall  the  history  of  some  of  those  early 
pioneers.  Methodism  is  now  a  power  in  the  States. 
Its  loyalty  is  no  longer  called  in  question,  as  at  the 
time  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  West  and 
South  it  is  paramount, 

Foremost  in  that  band  of  tireless  itinerants  was 
Francis  Asbury.  the  pioneer  bishop  of  the  Meth 
odist  Church  in  America.  Always  and  everywhere 
with  harness  on  ready  for  the  spiritual  warfare, 
he  may  be  said  almost  to  have  created  the  Church 
in  its  present  form,  and  during  his  long  and 
active  life  kept  all  its  departments  in  motion.  He 
ordained  upward  of  three  thousand  preachers,  and 
preached  seventeen  thousand  sermons,  besides  attend 
ing  to  the  varied  and  multitudinous  duties  connected 
with  his  peculiar  relation  to  the  Church  and  his  epis 
copal  office.  Though  dead  he  yet  lives  in  the  affec 
tions  of  the  great  Methodist  public,  North  and  South, 
numbering  upward  of  a  million.  So  effectually  has 
he  stamped  his  powerful  mind  upon  the  masses  of 
Methodism  all  over  this  vast  continent,  from  the  hills 


496       LIFE  AND  TIMES  OF  FRANCIS  ASBUUY. 

of  the  Aroostook  to  the  slopes  of  the  Pacific,  that  no 
time  or  change  can  efface  the  impression.  What  the 
name  of  Washington  is  to  the  patriot  American — 
a  charm  and  a  watchword  in  whatever  pertains  to 
American  liberty,  the  name  of  Asbury  is  to  the 
American  Methodist  in  whatever  concerns  the 
genius  and  mission  of  Methodism. 


THE    END. 


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